Leaving on a Jet Plane

Is it me or is this guy a complete asshole? Obviously, he doesn't have kids.

We have a few adventures coming up that involve taking Grace (13 months) on an airplane. While she has been on airplanes before, there is a big difference - a Grand Canyon sized difference - between traveling with an infant and traveling with a toddler. So I've been told.

I am hoping to prevent a meltdown worthy of being posted on the Internet by a perfect stranger (although to my "mom" ears, the tantrum in that video didn't sound that bad) so I' opening it up to you favorite readers. Besides an extra pair of clothes, some diapers, toys and a few snacks, what else can I bring to prevent a toddler meltdown, or more accurately, a mom meltdown, at 30,000 feet?

High Chair Happenings

With each day, Grace gets more and more independent - particularly when it comes to meal time. And by independent, I mean messy. Naturally.

Grace vs. Ravioli

Ravioli wins!

Grace vs. Oatmeal

Grace WINS!

"Dangerous" Discovery

There are few places in America where delivery pizza is NOT available and for almost the last three years, I have lived in one of those places. For THREE ENTIRE YEARS, I have not had one of those go-to-at-the-last-minute -- just-pick-up-the-phone-and-voila-you've-got-dinner options - you know, for those days where you just can't get a meal on the table? Until now. Yesterday, I discovered that we now have a Pizza Hut and it DELIVERS!! This could be dangerous.

The Barn is Back

I'm still not in love with the layout but I think we're getting somewhere...maybe...you think? I've been focusing on the layout over the content lately because - well - I don't have much to say.

Perhaps it's a case of writer's block? I'd like to blame it on the gloom and doom of winter but I can't. It's been 50 degrees out and nothing but sunshine. Rough.

Perhaps nothing notable to say? Well, I could tell you about...

• what I made (or didn't make) for dinner this week,
• how I employed a new toy organizer system (and found the one of my dreams - yes, my dreams now include toy storage systems),
• how the dogs are "retaliating" from being left at home last weekend while we were in Seattle by peeing five minutes after I've let them in from a potty break (FUN) and
• the four, ENORMOUS, painful, inexplicable pimples that have broken on my chin.

But really, who wants to hear about any of that?

Instead, I will end the week with something that made me smile. And who couldn't use a smile?

The Battle of the Spoon

Those of you in-the-know will understand why the following clip is of monumental importance to me - not Grace - ME!

Country Life is the Kinda Life for Me

*This post is for those who don't understand why I love living on the farm as much as I do. Aside from the obvious - space, cost of living, the ability to have chickens as pets - here is my latest reason I'm thankful I've gone country.*

Don't get me wrong. I love Seattle. I love the city and I love traveling. A weekend in Seattle is filled with lots of things to do with Grace, shopping and restaurants. However, there are some downsides...

I went out to U Village to run some errands thinking that would be the best place to shop with Grace because EVERYONE has their kid with them at U Village. It's family friendly - so they say.

Strike One. I didn't get the memo that there was a Husky Basketball game. Any kind of event at the University of Washington shuts down practically the whole city. After an hour of fighting traffic, avoiding purple-and-gold-wearing fans, and dodging all the crazy think-they-can't-get-hit-by-a-car-so-they-jump-out-in-front-of-you-WITH-their-stroller pedestrians, I found a parking spot. All I wanted to do was go to this one store and get this one thing. It couldn't be too tough, right?

Strike Two. They were out the item I wanted so they called their Bellevue store. In luck! They had it! So I piled Grace back into the car, fought the traffic AGAIN and headed to Bellevue. I unloaded Grace - headed to the store and...drum roll please...they are out of my item as well! Come again? Didn't you just tell me you had it? The U Village people told me they called Bellevue when in actuality, they called downtown. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

I was on the verge of tears but thankfully, mercifully, Grace was being the best baby on the planet. No crying. No whining. No begging to get of the stroller and touch every single thing in the store. So I had the Bellevue people call the downtown people and I buy the damn thing over the phone. Not wanting to pay the $7 to ship when I am so close, I tell them I'll pick it up. (Oh I love when I try to be frugal. It ALWAYS back fires.)

With the thing bought I relax a little and head to Pottery Barn Kids. Where else does one go to relax?!

Grace (and I) fell in love with this - a butterfly mobile...

and a few other things that took ALL - MY - WILL POWER not to buy.

(I am taking good notes for the Easter Bunny though!)

I hit a few other stores but they were disappointing at best. Baby Gap looked like it had been hit by a tornado and I'm sorry, but Gymboree - why do you make the SMALLEST, most narrow stores when you know a 1,000 mothers and THEIR BABIES IN STROLLERS are all headed your way?!?! For that fact alone, I REFUSE (you hear me Gymboree? I'm talking to you!) REFUSE to shop there. It would be like a nursing home not having wheel chair accessibility. It's (almost) that bad.

After cursing Gymboree, Baby Gap and the other handful of baby stores at Bellevue Square, I decided to high tail it downtown, or as much as you can high tail during Husky basketball traffic, to pick up my item. I picked it up and a fancy, over-priced, trendy little boutique caught my eye. My will power depleted, (see above) I stepped in for just a quick peak. "I'm not going to buy anything," I told myself. "Just gonna look. No harm in looking."

The harm in looking is that it always leads to wanting and of course, I fell in love and couldn't live without something in this store. Of course. After trying to talk myself out of it, the sales person did a complete number on me and the next thing I know, I'm digging into my purse, reaching for my wallet.

Strike Three. No credit card. NO CREDIT CARD!! WHAT!?!? Where could it be? I haven't bought anyt..h..i...oh wait! The butterfly mobile that we "needed." I did buy that. It was super crowded in that store and me and the sales clerk were highly stressed during the transaction. I must have left it there. I called them. Good news - they had it! Bad news - I had to drive all the way back to Bellevue in Husky traffic. UGGHH.

And that folks is just one more reason why farm life and I mesh so well. The only shopping I do at home is online. No cars. No traffic. No people. {Sigh of contentment.} Just the way I like it.

New Look

I was the kind of kid that rearranged my room every weekend. I just got bored and without the resources to redecorate, moving the furniture around had to do.

This morning I took a good long hard look at my blog and realized I was bored. It needed a makeover. So I threw this together in about 10 minutes and honestly, I'm not in love with it. What do you think? Know of any good (free) layout templates that I am overlooking?

Rain Rain Go Away

It is POURING down rain in Seattle and after dragging Grace to the Apple store - TWICE - I figured a trip to the Children's Museum was in order. I was not alone in this idea. The place was packed! Grace was on overload with all the kids, running, music, exhibits - did I mention running?

The African music exhibit was a hit. She only lasted an hour but it set her up for an epic 2.5 hour nap! Hallelujah!

Up and Running

After two trips to the Apple store and one major run-in with a glass wall (*see below) I am up and running! THANK GOD! Thank you for your patience. Let the blogging begin!

*In an attempt to escape the "boring" Apple store, Grace made a fun for it. She didn't realize that the entire store front was an entire sheath of glass and face planted at full speed right into it. I couldn't help but laugh. I'm sorry. It was funny. She, on the other hand, didn't see the humor in the situation. She started crying -first out of shock, second out of pain and then finally out of embarrassment as several of the Mac people came running up to make sure she was ok. She was. She is. One new stuffed horsey later and all is well!

Technical Difficulties

Oh Friends! Don't give up on this blog just yet. There are posts in progress and posts buzzing around in my head...but alas, my computer is out of memory. (See I told you there is ALWAYS something broken around here!) Until I can delete enough of my 15,000 media files to open enough space to download more pictures, blogging has come to a screeching hault! Que triste because I have oh-so-much to share! I'm in the process of backing up ALL 15,000 of my media files to an online storage center, onto CDs AND onto an external hard drive. I am trying to cover all my bases! These pics are priceless what can I say!  Stay tuned and you won't be disappointed. I promise!

Hitting the Slopes

At 12 months old

we took her out in the cold.

Armed with helmet, goggles and gloves,

we knew this would be something she loves.

With skis strapped to her feet,

Our baby girl was in for a treat.

Dad huffed and he gasped

but she did nothing but laugh.

Her skiing debut,

I think she's a natural, don't you?! :)