We've moved!

I'm moving over to vox, you can find me here

My talented husband

Nick had fun playing in the snow yesterday...

Forever fighting...

I find some days that I am just so frustrated with people and their lack of common sense in respect to environmental issues. What will it take people to understand that their actions are affecting our planet now and for future generations??? WHY DON'T THEY GET IT?

I am far from perfect, I don't claim to be, but dammit, I try. In looking at new vehicles the FIRST thing I look at is fuel efficiency, of course that is tempered with safety but it is about BALANCE. We recycle, we turn off lights, we use fluorescent bulbs. I just get so annoyed when I feel like there are some people that quite honestly could not give a shit about it.

I just wish that I knew how to get through to people because I so desperately want to. A lot of people just seem to have this sense of entitlement that they are the exception to the rule, they NEED their big SUV, they NEED their 2500 sq ft house, you know what? YOU DON'T! A part of me wants to pack up and go to Europe, perhaps we'd fit in better there.

Tristan, Month 9 Newsletter

Dear Tristan,
Why does 9 months seem like such a big milestone to me? This was a tough month because you are really shedding the baby and becoming a little boy, and part of me just aches to have that newborn back - the one that would get that milk drunk look after nursing and stare dreamily up at me. That little baby has been replaced by a big ball of energy that never stops moving, even when asleep.



You are in constant motion - always. If you're in your highchair you're banging on the tray, throwing food or bottles, and wiggling your legs as fast as they'll go. If you're on the floor you're chasing after the cats at lightning speed or rushing to get into something you're not supposed to. You attempt to climb your baby gate, the couch, the coffee table, anything you can find. I have no idea where all of this energy comes from!



The other day you successfully stood on your own for almost half a minute, but apparently didn't find it that thrilling because you haven't done it again. It just seems easier to cruise around on the furniture or grab onto my pant leg for support. I give you one month to stand and walk, and then you're out on the street!

We went for our first trip to the zoo last week with some of our playgroup friends. You didn't seem quite as interested in it as I'd hoped you would be, although you did seem to like the monkeys. You LOVE monkeys - your squeaky bath monkey, your stuffed monkey, the monkey from your toy train, any monkey is good in your books. I find it odd that at your age you would even be able to recognize them!

Your biggest act of rebellion this month has been food. Not that you're picky, you'll eat anything, as long as it's not baby food! You've decided no more mushy, bland food or slimy cereal, you're all about being able to feed yourself. And so I think we spend half of our day cleaning food out of various orifices in your body and wiping it off the floor. You have an interesting palate though, current faves include avacado, tofu, mango, kamut puff, and of course cheerios.





I think the reason why this month has been so hard is that it has also come with the realization that I am going back to work soon. I hope that years from now you will respect that decision and know why I did it. I am doing it so that you will hopefully never know what lack and scarcity are, that you will never want for more education or activities, you will be able to see and experience the world, and you will have two confident and happy parents. I'm also doing it because I think parents need to be more than that one title - I can be your mother and contribute to something larger as well. I hope that you understand that my precious little man, because you mean the world to me and it breaks my heart to leave you. I am sure that you are going to love your dayhome though, I hope....



These are the days to cherish my baby. These last short months where you still smell sweetly like baby powder and your favorite person in the world is your mom. I know that will change... but you will always be my favorite. Even if we are blessed with more children in the future, you will always be my first, and to me you will always represent obstacles overcome and a family born.

I love you my sweet baby boy...

Love,
Momma
xoxoxoxoxo

I am happy to say...

..that I am now an employee of the Meow Foundation. It's very part time, but I'm excited to be able to do something that I love! And I'll be able to do it in addition to other work, so all the better!

It's official!

The house is SOLD! Our buyers financing went through today and our sold sticker is going on our sign. I am sooooo relieved! I'm glad that it went so quickly and so smoothly. Only 4 days on the market and we sold it for $900 below list, and we threw in our TV which makes Nick very, very happy because he gets to go shopping for a new one.

A photo series...

A year and a day...

...that's how long Nick and I have been married now. Anybody who says that marriage doesn't change anything is obviously not married. I can't say whether it changes things for the worse or for better, but it is different. Of course, having a child changes everything as well. I can honestly say though that Nick and I are not the same people we were when we met, I'm sure our friends and family would agree that we have both rubbed off on each other and have been inexplicably changed.

It's been an interesting and wild year, that's for sure... for our next year together I am looking forward to peace and contentment and not so much stress and craziness. We'll see what the universe has in store for us...

Apprehension and a Confession

OUR HOUSE IS ON THE MARKET!!!!! ACK!!!!! Okay, done freaking out (maybe). I know it will sell quickly, it's just, we're virgins on this and it's a little bit of a scary process. And okay, it's really just more annoying than scary because I have to clean up after myself and every turn and I find that really frustrating with an 8 month old baby.

Oh - and I have a confession - I broke my rule about only using natural cleaners because in my desperation to get the house spotless I had to use some Vim shower cleaner (because lets face it, are there any decent natural shower cleaners that will get glass shower doors clean???)...okay, and lavender pine sol, which I know was not necessary, but chemicals somehow cover the spell of diaper pail and pets better than essential oils. I hang my head in shame.... But I swear the new house will be chemical free just as I kept this one (until now).