A Little Catch Up

these tacos have nothing to do with this post but i thought they looked so pretty

I live my life with a mild refractive error. Indeed it's slight so I can go day to day without glasses if they don't match my outfit, because in the end fashion always wins. So I wear them and I don't wear them, it just depends. And not really on fashion because me and The Good Lord both know that although I really do enjoy staying current, sometimes my budget gets away from me and I have to spend it on things like "food" and "savings". Instead of a new chunky cardigan like I really want. Geez. Life is boring. I think I really just need to go back to work to once again enjoy life in full fashion regalia. But then who would snuggle Jude for a half hour before his nap? (Are all first children always this well taken care of? I would like to think so.)

Back to my glasses though. Just as I haven't been blogging much this summer I also have not been wearing my glasses much either. I'm actually really looking forward to that monumental day when I put them back on and I'll be able to see foliage as it should be - one distinct leaf at a time instead of the greenish areas with points, as they are now. I've kind of been saving up for this great day of refractive correction. Maybe when the leaves really start to change? ... or when I have to find a new address in the dark. The anticipation is mounting! I know, it's the little things that keep life so exciting. 

he is also loving playgrounds and getting pretty good at them

In other news, Jude is pretty adorable these days and a lot of fun. He can say a few words but they are the kind that only a parent can decipher but they insist on counting them. His vocabulary consists of sounds that are suppose to mean: sure, please, thank you, more, baby, binky, Jacob (bff), uh-oh, cheese, cereal, banana, blueberry, water, plane, truck, car, balloon, ball, bus, bike, bubbles, woof, meow, squirrel (sometimes we can't even understand that one ;) ) eye, nose, mouth... and maybe a few more I'm forgetting. He loves to take books over to his little chair, have a good sit and read to himself. And also, so began the Cars craze in this house, closely followed by the Cars merchandise craze. I never thought this would happen to us but I don't even care. Jude loves it. He is also a trotter. On our walks he is at a constant trot so it's good, we all get a little bit more exercise. And on these walks he insists on making his rounds to the nearby construction site. The digger and the crane must be visited. Music has also started to move this boy- he gets the cuttest little wiggle on with the right tune and the right company (like his bff Jacob). 

And then Dan. Oh he always keeps me laughing. Why just this morning he asked if his outfit was good but then realized that instead of the navy shorts he thought he was wearing, he actually had plaid shorts on ... with a plaid top. They did not match. It was hilarious. We both laughed so hard and then I took a picture he won't let me post.

Oh Virginia

I drove home this evening from doing this and that with my brights on. Yes, I'm that person. Although the moon was shining bright and peeking out through the clouds as best it could, it was still so so dark. Also so so beautiful. I guess I blame this bad habit on growing up in Canada where every town and city street is typically lined with industrial grade lamp posts so you can actually see (long, dark winters people). My car is really low to the ground so I figure my brights don't really bug anyone anyways even though Dan is sure they do. Please. It's fine.

When it is really really dark you can see the fireflies better. I get to live somewhere with fireflies (!) - this will never fail to excite me. And the trees here. They aren't the pine and evergreens I am used to, but they are equally beautiful. Their plume is wide and round with lime green leaves in the spring turning richer and deeper as the days get longer, turning into summer. Oh it really is beautiful. And then the fall. What a treat to see this part of the world in the fall. 

Last summer, to put it delicately, sucked. A new mom who had no extended family around with what was probably a colicky baby who just didn't know it at the time. And hot. Oh, so so hot. This summer I'm feeling it though. Patience got her groove back, baby! This summer I feel the outside pulling me to come play and explore with my little sidekick even on the hot days. Usually it starts with an early morning walk to the park to take inventory of the wood chips and planes, and then from there we are off. Well, I guess we actually go back home for a nap after that but you get the idea. Summer you have been well received and if you decide to be an Indian one no complaints here. (Although, for this cdn girl even your fall feels like summer but shhh! don't tell anyone!)

Having Jude in a land far far away from everything familiar to me has helped me to accept this place as my new home. This is Jude's home and now I want to know it inside out and backwards*.

*which will not include Civil War history though, I just can't do it... even though it practically happened in my backyard...

Nothing is happening! But enjoy anyways.

Blog! Inspire me with something to write about already. Geeze. I don't know. It's summer. We are having fun in the humid heat. Oh! Dan turned 30. I'm teaching him what being in your thirties is all about and so far so good. I do have that 9 month head start on him so I've been getting this decade all ready for his arrival and he seems to be settling in well.

These days I, actually we, find ourselves so pooped in the evenings that even turning on Netflix seems like work. I need some motivation to get some projects going or get some learning going on during my down time. Or should I just continue to enjoy serial series watching? My sister recently recommended The Good Wife and I am loving it. Alicia kicks all kinds of ass and if her and Will could just get it on already for the love, my life would probably be complete. Maybe I should be learning about something a little more productive though? To be considered: making my lazy time productive. Except I get a little exhausted even thinking about it. And, I just have to say, I already feel like my knowledge of judicial things has greatly expanded. I object! I will subpoena you! Overruled! Ha ha. I also know a lot about dramatic teenagers and vampires, if you ever have any questions. 

Jude of course likes to go for lots and lots of walks. Our morning walk is pretty well ingrained in that kid. He knows exactly where to go and heaven forbid I derail the walk by stopping at the dumpster first! Park via dumpster is not routine. 

So that's that. Birthdays, summer, series, and walks. And it is all pretty great.

Friday

at the park this morning sitting on the bench, as he does

Hello, hello! What's this, two posts in ONE week. I must be taking crazy pills. I thought I would take a few paragraphs or so to ramble on about mostly nothing. And first on that list will be East Coast living. It is kind of a pain in the you know what. Living on the East Coast while having lots of West Coast connections is like being elderly before your time. I feel like all my West Coast people are continually sleeping in and staying up late and it just isn't fair. And it's boring. And I get a lot of calls at about, um, midnight from sisters and well wishers. I am a geriatric in bed already so they go to voice mail, but also my voicemail isn't working right now so don't leave one, fyi. Totally boring. I will always be jealous of my West Coast people. Party animals.

Today Jude and I had a delightful morning at Theater In The Woods. It was so cute! We were a little late to the play but still had a marvelous time. Jude was surprisingly attentive. The only thing that seemed to pull him this way or that was the sound of planes overhead. That kid, he lives for planes. He now points at them and then waves 'bye-bye'. He especially liked the clapping parts of the play because if there is anything Jude can do well, it is clapping. We will for sure go back. Such a nice morning! 

Then to kill some time before his nap while spending the least amount of $$ as possible we stopped in at the GoodWill. One of my favorite places. He always wants to play on The Island of Misfit Toys though. That's what we like to call the thrift store toy area. It's kind of gross but if I don't have him in a cart I can't stop him. This point has been reached! Life will never be the same. So he plays with the misfit toys now and looooves it. Then I bathe him in Purelle to keep the Hepatitis at bay.  So gross.

I almost bought him this little car but then my more sensible side stepped in and stopped me. Because where the eff am I gonna put that thing? Without a backyard that thing would be so annoying to haul around all the time. And it does have Hepatitis on it so I obviously don't want it in my house all the live long day either. He sure is making a cute face though. Awe, maybe I should have got it for him? He does have his shots, after all.

Anyway, have a wonderful weekend and I wish I was right there with you, you party animals. 

Sorry guys, summer is taking over.

I realize that I am kind of the worst at blogging these days. But I really loooove blogging. Even though I would rather enjoy it if the hobby brought me monetary gain, I sporadically continue because mostly I want something of my thoughts and experiences to survive and paper journaling is too boring for me. And isn't the Internet forever? Although I do enjoy my own penmanship. It's a weird thing. To the Internet I turn! (when I feel like it, hah!)

This week I find myself in the valley of the Y mountain in Utah. I lived here for four and a half years and I don't think I really thought it was pretty until now. I was so spoiled by those Alberta Rockies and I would not relent on the ugliness of mountains that stay brown for most of the year. How I was wrong! The Utah mountains are breathtaking! Lest I forget and return to my previous snobbish ways, my confession is here on the Internet and the Internet is a witness that never forgets even when things get unfortunate.

So, yes. I'm visiting with my sister Eve and her family that I love. It's wonderful, really. I like to say "Welcome to Chateau Werner: Where the Diet Coke flows freely". And also the Nutella. Oh man, my ass. I don't even buy Nutella anymore because it is that much of an issue. For sure heading to Costco to replace what my butt ate before I leave. It's rather embarrassing and I'm really not sure if I should ever travel to Europe again. Besides the Diet Coke and Nutella, there are also adorable children to speak of and Jude is smitten with them. Jude is such a fun age for stuff like this. Things he likes to do in Utah include but are not limited to: pointing at his cousins, pointing at the mountains, pointing at the water table, pointing at the patio door because he wants to go out there, and, oh yeah, being such a turd about a measly 2 hour time change. Such a baby, that baby. We are having a great time though so I'd have to say that long, solo, nights with a little turd sleeper baby are even worth it. Oh Utah. You are good to me and I'll always come back. And there are also lots of friends that I got to catch up with too. Bonus.

And then another sister came and surprised me here!! All of a sudden Nunu was standing in the kitchen last Saturday morning. It was so fun to be surprised like that! A good surprise is always the best and when it is your sister it is even better!! She is gone already though (tear) but it was sooooooo nice to have 3 out of 7 siblings together for a weekend. I'm lucky and thanks ladies :)!! 

And also, I'm really not taking the greatest pictures. Woe is me and such is life. If there happen to be grammar and/or spelling mistakes feel free to correct them in the comments. I left my dear editor and lover, Dan, at home in Virginia... and I took our child. We miss him like nutso and that is probably the only thing that makes me want to go home.

Blurry Days

My BIL, via my sisters Instagram, commented that Jude is growing up all blurry. And he's right. This dang kid is almost never sitting still. Maybe it is a little fitting as well because we all know just how fast time flies when you have kids. Pretty blurry if I do say so myself. And I post the best ones of the series! I read somewhere about someone who takes videos of her kids and then does a screen shot to capture the best image. I tried that and it takes forever, or, my fingers are too clumsy and stubby to actually press all those buttons at exactly the right time. Headache is all that is. So here is my blurry baby boy, once again. He will stay still for a few minutes if I put snacks out for him on his perch in the kitchen. Sometimes he will stay there for minutes on end pointing at the planes in the sky and the dogs that walk by. I always try to time it so he is at his perch when Dan pulls up on his bike from work. Jude especially loves that. He holds on to the ledge and stomps his feet with glee. It is pretty cute.

Jude will also stay still (and whine and grunt) when he gets stuck in the toy bin. He goes after certain toys and sometimes they are at the bottom. He almost always gets stuck during this endeavor. It makes us laugh so hard. Kids are so funny. Granted I only have one 14 month old child and after working full time for almost 6 years I feel like I'm on vacation 24/7, so my opinion might come from a different place than yours, but having a kid is way better than I thought it would be. If only he would stop making everything so blurry.

And oh! Jude is up! He's singing his songs beckoning me to come get him. We have to go run around suburbia getting things done before he and I head out west for 2 weeks of cousin time. If little Lucy has anything to do with it Jude is going to return a rascal :).

Prep for Mothers Day ...and maybe Christmas too.

Just when I thought I was going to start taking Blogging a little more seriously I go MIA for the week. Ha. Life is full of good intentions.

So what has been going on.... lots of Jude walking all over the place. He is still full of baby shuffles and wobbles and someone get me a bandage for my bleeding heart already. This kid, I tell you. He just kills me. Our hearts are full. Having a little person to love and to be loved by is like nothing I have ever experienced before. Of course, like any other parent, I say stay little my little person. I want this baby love to last forever but I know it won't so darned if I don't make the most of it. When I hold him close I close my eyes and just let it ooze into every open space there is and then drip down so maybe I can save some for later. It helps me peacefully deal with all the wrongs and seems to make the rights even better. Yeah, we clean up a lot of poop and food squished into everywhere and everything and there is so much laundry to do and sleep is a joke and ugly plastic toys he loves but it actually is worth it. My cold heart is melting. Alert the authorities!

It seems like Jude is happening at a pretty great time. Done is childhood, done is being a teenager, done are those enticing and exciting twenties and now, to do: Jude. At least for me this is how it goes and I like it, a lot. With disappointment I have felt that all the fun and exciting things were slowing down but now I can do it again. With my baby! I mean, not that I want to live through him, but I want to live beside him. Forever and always. But don't get me wrong, I have limits which include no basement habitation after age 40. Healthy limits.

This whole parenthood business, shucks, it makes me feel like Virginia O'Hanlon when she received her famous response of "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus". These babies, they fill you with hope, like Santa Claus.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                          ~Francis P. Church                  

Saturday Pictures

I'm just going to warn you - below is perhaps the cutest boy this side of the Mississippi. You might die. I think I should take my big person camera with me more often. I am very slowly learning how to use it a little better and jeepers, is it ever nice to have keepers like these for that one time when I'll get off my lazy youknowwhat and actually do some framing. Ha! I now present to you: Some Pictures From Our Weekend When We Walked The W & OD Trail and Played at the Park. A really nice Saturday indeed.

Baby in a blossoming tree! Complete with some hair issues- we like to call it 'wind swept'.

Taking the convertable for a cruise. He really enjoyed it.

Stopping for a picture on the trail and looking generally handsome in all respects.

The only way to eat Cheerios is a fist full at a time. This ensures that at least one will make it into your mouth and the 36 others will mark your path lest you get lost on the return trip. (Costco and Target, an official apology: I'm very sorry for the trails he leaves in your wonderful consumer establishments.)

This one may help you understand why we can't bring ourselves to cut these golden locks just yet- those curls! In the words of Lucille Bluth "That hair!" (we are getting ready for 5/26 over here... ekkkk!!!)

And just to make myself feel better about missing those ever so dramatic and droopy cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin- these are just as good.. . but not gifts from Japan. Hmmm... I'll keep on telling myself that, huh. 

I'll take ten Saturdays just like you all in a row please. Like ducks.

Spring Lovin'

The last picture I took on our most awesome weekend ever. Spring is in the air people and we are loving it. When on the East Coast it is very important to soak up as much mild spring weather as possible before the humidity kicks in. Humidity is no joke. Can I get an amen?! Therefore this week will consist of picnic dinners in the park (come join us!), and being outside all day, and parks, and walks. That humidity will probably kick in next week (boo) so we'll live it up while we can.

Spring always reminds me of Bambi. All the baby animals and all the twitterpated-ness. Ahhhh! I mean, I love my husband- we are 5 years and counting, we keep things fresh... but that new love, it only happens once. To be twitterpated! That first little while when you can't wait to see him, you want to be with him all the live long day, you can't wait for his touch because it feels like electricity. For this reason I've been suggesting to Dan that we break up so we can do that first bit all over again. Just today he didn't put something back where it belonged and I said that's it, we are breaking up and you can sleep in the car! It's all kind of exciting because I could be starting a new spring relationship tomorrow complete with twitterpation- anyone wanna babysit Jude, if you know what I mean :)?

A Spectacular Snowquester

Dan was able to work from home which is always my favorite. Come change a diaper! (The time he takes to do this and other requests is basically the same as a conversation with a co-worker, in my books.) Which also meant that we got a little bit of a sleep in... by about 15 minutes because Jude is so excited about life and can't help himself. Oh well. At least he woke us up with his giggles as he played peek-a-boo with himself and his blankie. Dear me, I think I have the cutest kid that ever walked the face of this here planet.

We kept him in his PJs for most of the day so he could be nice and cozy because no matter how much we try to sweet talk our thermostat the downstairs is always freezing. I don't mind it though. Kind of reminds me of growing up near the arctic circle in a house far too large and far too difficult to keep warm. When I come downstairs in the mornings I always think 'cold downstairs you got nothing on Slave Lake, Alberta' and then I make a smoothie for breakfast to see if I can get a little colder. I actually don't know what my problem is. So Jude was in his PJs all day and we were in our slippers. Very cozy.

The snow kept falling here in Virginia and by quarter of 12 I needed to get out of the house. Snowquester could not sequester me. I pulled out our winter boots from our storage closet wondering, once again, why on earth did I ship these instead of our photo albums and my sparkly gold pumps? That was dumb. And they aren't even the cute Sorels. No, they are the Sorels that are made for real winter- not cute city winters match your wardrobe boots. They are ugly and functional and in that they are amazing. When we were packing to move across the continent and to another country I remembered reading about Snowmageddon and maybe I thought every winter would be like that... sounds vaguely familiar but I'm still not sure what possessed me. Anyways, on went our Sorels and out the door we went. A quick stop at the grocery store so we could pick up some last minute things for dinner and some time outside for Judie Pants (I don't know why we call him that but it seems to be sticking around) so he could point at the snowflakes and grimace when they landed on his nose. Sweet boy. Some snow landed on my lips so I licked it up and it tasted like home. When Dan was putting on his boots it reminded him of when he shoveled snow for 30 houses all winter long. In Canada, where winter lasts forever and where it snows all the time. All 30 houses shoveled clean by 8am. This is so hilarious- I'm waxing poetic about snow here when every member of my family besides myself probably can't wait for it all to go away. Oh Virginia, you have spoiled me but I must say you are quite a B in the summer.

This afternoon we had a pot roast braising in the oven and it smelt like magic in our cold downstairs. Mmmmmm... like Sunday dinner magic in a house that was far too large and far too difficult to keep warm. Pot Roast always smells like Sunday after church in the winter. We had our friends over to partake of our Snowquester feast and it was the coziest of evenings, the coziest of days.