Virgin Gorda

As we could not make it to Virgin Gorda in one day, we spent the night in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

We packed a cooler full of food for the trip. We awoke hoping our food was still cold (neither of us actually wanted to open the cooler for fear the cold air would escape) - or perhaps most importantly, that Chase's yogurt tubes were still frozen...




















And then we boarded a small plane...
































And an hour later, arrived at last...














Our friend, Jeff, picked us up at the airport.

Our first stop was the house (Jemstone), to catch up with Victoria (who looks like a super model) and the kids (Jack & Olivia).



























Over the next eight days, we spent most of our time between the beach and the house.

(Here's my super model friend)













Chase loved the beach...
































And when we weren't at the beach, she loved playing at the house.
Here are Olivia and Jack...
































Chase overcame her fear of water...













Hubs read books...













And Chase learned to love the sand...



















And we went to Mad Dogs ... several times ...







































































































On our last day we went for brunch at Little Dix (a Rockefeller resort).
The grounds are amazing; the beach was beautiful...














































Sure going to miss this island...


























And the next morning we bid farewell to Virgin Gorda ...

Back In Town

Back from a most relaxing trip to Virgin Gorda, one of the British Virgin Islands. I think I slept more in the past 10 days, then the last two years. It was marvelous. Pictures to come.

R&R

We're heading out of town for a little R&R with old friends. Back on 27 May.

Lovely Little Lady

Mandarin School

Today, I went to visit the school that provides 2.5 year-olds with a full Mandarin immersion class. I went in hoping for the best, but I have to say I found it all a little make-shift and a bit chaotic.

The school seemed a little less established than I had hoped it would be - and Chase would be the very youngest in the class - the oldest being about 5 years-old, which kind of concerns me, only because it seems that the older kids would probably be more verbal and proactive, and I'm afraid Chase might get lost in it all. But I could be wrong. There is always the chance that she could learn a lot from the older kids.

I had a good chat with the school admissions woman, who also doubles as the English teacher. She indicated that by 4th grade, children are proficient - they can write and speak Chinese with ease. At 4th grade level they also offer kids an opportunity to add a third language. SO COOL.

Jury is out. Not sure what the verdict will be.

Down South

So Animoto has changed their format; they won't allow me to download shorts anymore. So here is the latest video link - hope y'all can reach it.

http://animoto.com/play/6wyAOLAGvX0hRgPNDlR0KA

Still Trying To Get Back On Track

Not much from me this week; it has been really tough getting Chase back on schedule. She has at least decided to sleep in until 5:45/6 a.m., but has decided against naps - falling into a hard slumber at about 7:30 p.m. While I like the early to bed, I'm not so fond of the early to rise part.

This morning we went and saw two new babies, born to two friends I met the first month we arrived here (have we really been here long enough to know someone through an entire pregnancy?) Both were sweet, darling and so chilled out. I couldn't believe it.

I don't remember getting any time "off" when Chase was little. I just remember the feeling like I was going, going, going the whole time. Of course, I feel like we've always been going, going. It would be nice to slow down, just for a year or so, to catch our breath - and then go explore the world again (when she's old enough to entertain her jet lagged self in the middle of the night).

5:30 a.m.

The thing I dislike about traveling with a tot isn't the part where I have to come up with 150 things to do with a barf bag (in one hour-oh, and there are still 4 hours left), it's what it takes to get her back on schedule. This morning she was up at 5:30 a.m. Ready to start the "new" day. Looking at me like I was crazy - and why was I was having such a hard time keeping my eyes open? Like it wasn't the third day in a row (it was).

And so as we get ready for our next trip (to Virgin Gorda), which happens in a week and a half (convenient that she will just have found her schedule again), I have my fingers crossed that the break will allow us to actually-get-some-rest.

CPSC

I signed-up for free recall news, courtesy of the CPSC. Did you know they issue a new recall EVERY DAY?

Chinese

I found a school, cross fingers, that could be a great fit for Chase. It's only three days a week, a couple hours a day - and offers full Chinese immersion. Plus, they'll take Chase when she is 2.5 years old, which coincides with when Lili, our fabulous tutor, is slated to have her baby. I'm VERY happy.

Dance, Baby, Dance

Today I took Chase to a trial ballet/tap class.

They let us borrow a pair of tap and ballet shoes (but she wouldn't put them on). There were little girls in tutus everywhere. One girl had glitter in her hair. Some were doing twirls in the waiting room. Others were tapping their toes. It was all super duper girlie cute.

I didn't know I was going to have to leave her there - alone. Okay, not really alone. She was with the rest of the kids and the instructor.

She cried when I left and it just made me want to grab her up from the teacher and run away with her. But instead I stayed strong, thinking - if she can get through this class, I might just have one hour to myself. WHOA.

There was a place where I could peak in to see her. The instructor carried her for the first 10 minutes. Ten minutes later, she was standing at the bar with the other girls. Tapping her toes. And so I went to get a coffee.

The hour passed pretty quickly, and when I returned (10 minutes before class was out) she still seemed to be hanging in there. When the doors opened and she (and the rest of the class) was allowed out of the studio, her bottom lip was quivering (poor darling). But she held it together. She showed me two stamps she received - one was for tap, the other was for ballet.

She pointed to the door and said, "go dogs go." But later, when we were in the car and I asked her, did you like dance class? She said, "yes." And I said, "do you want to go back?" And she said, "Yes."

Too Funny!

Thanks, Elaina!


FOLLOW THESE 14 SIMPLE TESTS BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO HAVE CHILDREN.


Test 1 Preparation

Women: To prepare for pregnancy:-

1. Put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front.

2. Leave it there.

3. After 9 months remove 5% of the beans.


Men: To prepare for children:-

1. Go to a local chemist, tip the contents of your wallet onto the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself

2. Go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.

3. Go home. Pick up the newspaper and read it for the last time.


Test 2 Knowledge

Find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have allowed their children to run wild. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behaviour.

Enjoy it. It will be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.


Test 3 Nights

To discover how the nights will feel:

1. Walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 4 - 6kg, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing really loudly.

2. At 10pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 11pm and walk the bag around the living room until 1am.

4. Set the alarm for 3am.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2am and make a cup of tea.

6. Go to bed at 2.45am.

7. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs in the dark until 4am.

9. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up when it goes off.

10. Make breakfast.

Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.


Test 4 Dressing Small Children

1. Buy a live octopus and a string bag.

2. Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that no arms hang out.

Time Allowed: 5 minutes.


Test 5 Cars

1. Forget the BMW. Buy a practical 5-door wagon.

2. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.

3. Get a coin. Insert it into the CD player.

4. Take a box of chocolate biscuits; mash them into the back seat.

5. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.


Test 6 Going For a Walk

Wait
Go out the front door
Come back in again
Go out
Come back in again
Go out again
Walk down the front path
Walk back up it
Walk down it again
Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes.
Stop, inspect minutely and ask at least 6 questions about every piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way.
Retrace your steps
Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbours come out and stare at you.
Give up and go back into the house.

You are now ready to try taking a small child for a walk.


Test 7

Repeat everything you say at least 5 times.


Test 8 Grocery Shopping

1. Go to the local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a pre-school child - a fully grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat.

2. Buy your weekly groceries without letting the goat(s) out of your sight.

3. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.

Until you can easily accomplish this, do not contemplate having children.


Test 9 Feeding a 1 year-old

1. Hollow out a melon

2. Make a small hole in the side

3. Suspend the melon from the ceiling and swing it side to side

4. Now get a bowl of soggy cornflakes and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon while pretending to be an aeroplane.

5. Continue until half the cornflakes are gone.

6. Tip the rest into your lap, making sure that a lot falls on the floor.


Test 10 TV

1. Learn the names of every character from the Wiggles, Barney, Teletubbies and Disney.

2. Watch nothing else on television for at least 5 years.


Test 11 Mess

Can you stand the mess children make? To find out:

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains

2. Hide a fish behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3. Stick your fingers in the flowerbeds and then rub them on clean walls. Cover the stains with crayon.

4. Empty every drawer/cupboard/storage box in your house onto the floor & leave it there.


Test 12 Long Trips with Toddlers

1. Make a recording of someone shouting 'Mummy' repeatedly. Important Notes: No more than a 4 second delay between each Mummy. Include occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet.

2. Play this tape in your car, everywhere you go for the next 4 years.

You are now ready to try taking a long trip with a toddler.


Test 13 Conversations

1. Start talking to an adult of your choice.

2. Have someone else continually tug on your shirt hem or shirt sleeve while playing the Mummy tape listed above.

You are now ready to try having a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.


Test 14 Getting ready for work

1. Pick a day on which you have an important meeting.

2. Put on your finest work attire.

3. Take a cup of cream and put 1 cup of lemon juice in it

4. Stir

5. Dump half of it on your nice silk shirt

6. Saturate a towel with the other half of the mixture

7. Attempt to clean your shirt with the same saturated towel

8. Do not change (you have no time).

9. Go directly to work

Catch Up: Steamboat

Catch Up: Grandpa Mark & Fern

Catch-Up: Chase's 2nd Birthday

Catch Up: Pics From Budapest

Take That, You Bully

So the bully didn't show today.

The soccer coach was there to help out.
And I have to say, Chase really loved it.
She was out there kicking freely, without fear of being knocked over from behind.

After soccer, we went to a new coffee shop.
Perk & Play in Stapleton. http://www.pandpcoffee.com/

It was amazing. There were SO many toys there.
Chase self-entertained for 1.5 hours. AMAZING.
We're going back tomorrow. This time, I'm taking Hubs.

The rest of the day was a little on the "ho-hum" side.
But we did have date night! Superb.

Oh, and Chase ended up with a big raised hive on her left bum.
I called the pediatrician and he approved giving her a Benadryl.
I checked it again before she went to bed and it was gone - fabu!

The Rest Of The Day

So we went to the dog park, where the wind was so wild that we could only stay a little while, which was still long enough to be able to have the sand from the park find its way into our eyes, nose, and teeth. From there, we headed home and Chase played in the back yard.

The highlight of the day? When Chase emptied three puzzles into one pile and then set to work putting them back together. Very cool, my girl!

My Day

So for all those people that think that being a stay-at-home mom is so glam, I'd like to share my day (thus far) with you.

First of all I'm sick at the moment (or is it allergies?)

6:30 a.m. - Awake

7:00 a.m. - Morning rituals (brushing hair & teeth, changing clothes - which has become a bit of a traumatic thing, Chase doesn't like to take her PJs off anymore). Sitting on the potty, which hasn't led to anything in two days.

8:00 a.m. - Making Chase breakfast, quick chat with Hubs before he goes to work

8:30 a.m. - Dog pukes everywhere. Three times.

9:00 a.m. - Make some media calls for my client.

9:15 a.m. - Make some lemon bars for our housekeeper.

9:30 a.m. - Huge diaper. Prepare snacks/diaper bag.

9:45 a.m. - We're in the car and she can't decide what she wants to listen to. Every time I put something in the stereo that she likes, she says, "Mama, no!" So I turn it off. And she gets really upset. And I ask her if she wants to go to the zoo. And she says, "no" and then I look at her and she whispers, "yes."

10:00 a.m. - Arrive at the zoo, only to find all parking places are taken and I have to park in the intestines of the garage. Carry Chase to the zoo. We spend the first half hour quite close to the entrance, as Chase loves to things over and over again. Like walk on curbs. Or run down ramps. Or climb stairs. Or slide her hand all-the-way-along-a-rail-until-she-runs-out-of-room.
And now she's gotten to the point where she'll say, "Mama, No!" and push me to where she wants me to stand. And then continue her routine.

12:00 p.m. - We finally leave the zoo. And Chase is SO sad. And the sun is burning - it's 82 degrees today. And yes, it is supposed to snow tomorrow.

12:20 p.m. - We're home and Chase won't eat any part of lunch that I prepared for her. Nor will she sit down and read books (which usually results in a nap). Instead, she is fixated on bubbles - so out we go, into the back yard, with Taggart, to blow bubbles. And Taggart is barking, so I let him into the main part of the yard, and then he works at digging up my vegetable garden.

12:30 p.m. - I have basically given up on Chase taking a nap. Or eating lunch. She plays outside, while I watch her through the screen door.

1:00 p.m. - ENORMOUS explosion in her diaper. So big I decide to just throw her pants away, rather than salvage them. But in taking them off, it just gets everywhere.

1:30 p.m. - Finally clean and now asking over and over for new pants. new pants. new pants. new pants. new pants. new pants. "Yes, yes," I say, "new pants." By re-stating her words, I hope she will understand I hear her.

1:35 p.m. - We sit down to read a book. "Soy, mama, soy, mama." So off I go to get soy. And then we read.

1:40 p.m. - Chase falls asleep.

1:50 p.m. - Housekeeper arrives.

1:55 p.m. - I pick up around the house like a crazy woman. And hope Chase will nap until at least 2:30 p.m.

And that's been my day so far. I don't know how women with children find the time to (1) work, (2) have friends, (3) get nails done, (4) get hair cut - etc. I'm in shorts and I desperately need to shave my legs. Ah well.

Bullies - Next Steps

So I had a little chitty-chat with our soccer coach. She said, "I know exactly who and what you are talking about," before I could say two words. Apparently, Amber has exhibited the same behavior in another class. The coach told me this was the first time she had ever interacted with other kids. (WHOA!)

So the coach is going to come to the class next Friday and "monitor" the situation. Stay tuned.

Bullies

There is this little girl named Amber. Yes, I'm using her real name. I'm not about to "protect" her identity. I would poster her face all over Stapleton if I could. She is a real bully. It's hard for me to stay calm, cool and collected when I see her near Chase. And yes, she is two-years-old.

Her mom corrects her (a little), saying things like "oh Amber, that's not nice." But she has already pushed Chase twice (from behind) and and today, she hit her with a metal stacking pin (by mistake?) and took a soccer ball from her, ran in front of her when Chase was about to kick the ball (I know this sounds little, but something like this happens EVERY FRIDAY - and she usually targets Chase, probably because Chase just doesn't even flinch and doesn't give her the time of day). Her mom finally got a clue and removed her from the team early.

But before she did, I almost said to Amber, "If you keep this up, you are never, ever going to have any friends. No one is going to ever like you." A little harsh? Perhaps. But it is true. And then I wanted to say to the mom, "I can't believe you allow her to behave like this. What kind of mom are you?"

But then I remembered that I have a couple friends, who have kids that act out and no matter what they try the kids don't seem to respond. So maybe it isn't the mom's fault. I mean I have to give her credit for removing Amber today.

So I did a little research and came up with the following information (from babycenter.com), that I thought was good advice.

- 0 -

I know at 22 months, that is still too young for your child to verbalize. At this age, however, I would not hesitate to start saying things like "Let's choose to not play with "Johnny" right now because Johnny is biting." Then re-direct, re-direct, and re-direct. I believe as parents, each incident at the playground can provide teachable moments. For preschoolers, if I witness a bullying situation, I would come alongside my child and model for him and say to the bully something like "Because you are not playing nice, I choose not to play with you until you start sharing, (stop biting), (stop scratching), etc." and then immediately turn and walk away from the bully. I believe this teaches your child, that he is not the problem here, but it is the bully's problem. This will also teach the bully that his behavior is not desirable and will result in loss of friendship. I would also explain to my child that if the bully changes and wants to be his friend, then it would be wise to give that bully another chance. I believe it is good to teach our children that they do not need to "take mistreatings" from anyone...that hey can always choose the type of friends that "makes good choices".

Ye, Er, San

Yesterday I overheard Chase counting to herself in Chinese in the playground.

pee pee in the potty!

enough said.

Riddle Me This

Today at dinner, Chase was working on a puzzle - the one my dad made for her that has a picture of us eating raspberries in his backyard. She LOVES it. She can do it all by herself. It's wild.

So anyway, we took it apart (again) and she took the corner piece and lined it up, and then twisted it one rotation, and looked up at Hubs with a devilish grin. He said, "nope, not that way, try again." And so she turned it another rotation (same direction) and looked at him again, with a twinkle in her eye. "Nope, try again," said Hubs. And she did it again - and for those keeping track, that means that the next time she turned it, it would line up properly. But instead, she turned it back the other way - giving Hubs a cheeky grin.

More Read Book Peas

Today in Chase's room we were reading books. Actually, I was planning to read three books to Chase (we read a series of about six books three times per day). Instead, she proceeded to stack more and more books onto her lap, saying "more read book peas," after each one. After she stacked about 15 books on her lap, she realized she couldn't get up, so she looked at me and said, "hep peas mama."

Me Home

Today we were working on Chase's alphabet puzzle. I picked up the letter "H," which covers a picture of a house. I said, "H" for house. And Chase looked up at me and said, "Me Home," and gestured at her room, her eyes wide with excitement. I almost fell over.

Recession

And here's a thought on the recession...

Maybe it's because I work in media, but I can't help but think that we aren't doing ourselves any favors by covering the recession every-single-day. All I hear is how bad everything is. How bad the numbers are. How many people are being forced to sell their homes. Yada, yada.

Has anyone thought that maybe, just maybe, we're creating a recession by encouraging people NOT to spend their money? I'm not saying it would go away if reporters stopped covering it, and I'm not saying it's a good idea to cover it up, I just wonder what the psychological impact is on the masses when the media replay gloom and doom stories. What if the media spent a month covering stories of hope, stories of people taking control of their lives and changing them for the better, overcoming odds, etc.

I'm thinking it would bring people hope and happiness - in a time where there is so much worry and concern for the future of our country.

No, Not Me.

It can't be true. Am I really becoming one of "those" bloggers. The kind that says, "oh yah, I have a blog," but only update it once a month? I hope not.

So here's the scoop. No pictures for ages because Hubs has this mega super computer that now stores all our photos - and I used to be able to know how to use it, but then he purchased (yet another) remote control (because we need one for every device). I'm quite sure he'd buy a remote for the shower, the blender and the toaster if they were available. Anyhoo, until I can unlock the truth from within the remote, my blog will continue to lack our latest pictures.

The past month has been filled with a slew of visitors, birthdays (Hubs and Chase, as well as others), and making changes here and there around the house. I have color chips on all the walls (our neighbor has been kind enough to volunteer to help me paint away the buttercup yellow downstairs). I'll tackle the upstairs on my own.

We had 8 yards of dirt delivered. Hubs did a wondrous job of moving it from the front of the house to the back. I have officially planted wildflowers along the boarders and a full vegetable garden (hurray!). I have also planted bulbs out front - I'm SO excited to see how the garden will unfold.

We have also figured out what to do about our kitchen! And we have scheduled the roofers to come out in August.

As for my darling Chase, she is doing very well. I think she may be a bit behind in vocabulary development, but she's making up for it in her puzzle work. We don't even have to help her with her 12-piece puzzles anymore. I need to find something that's a little more challenging for her...

She is also singing up a storm. Not exactly using the right words, but still singing.

She is terrified of the potty. Two of her friends (one older and one younger) are already using it and she just can't seem to make it work for her.

She still loves anything that has to do with travel and the world. We received some world music as a gift for her birthday and she absolutely MUST listen to it every time we're in the car. She also loves a book called "Gigi and Zachary's Around The World Adventure," globes, maps and her child Atlas.

She's still surviving on about a gallon of yogurt a day (no exaggeration), fortified pasta, fruit and corn. She's anti-green-veggie at the moment.

As for Hubs, he's racing around a race track at the moment - at driving school (the kind of driving school where they encourage you to drive fast, not the kind where they send you if you have too many tickets).

And I am settling into Denver now, more than ever. With the sun coming out every day and temperatures in the mid-60s, I can't complain.

I have fallen into cahoots with a marketing gal who is pushing clients in my direction. I did some high-level consulting for the Colfax Marathon (Denver's marathon) and for a baby-planner, who offers families support as they prepare for a child. I'm super close to getting my own gig off the ground, but I am still stumped on a name for my biz. It's driving me nuts. I'll disclose more when I'm closer.

So that's it in a nutshell....

Bye To Grandpa Mark & Fern

And so I dropped my Dad and Fern at the airport this afternoon. I so hated to say goodbye, it was really nice having them in town.

I also have to give them a huge THANKS for all the work they did in our yard. We put them to work yesterday and by the end of the day all our plants were pruned (Thanks Fern!), the (old green rusty) laundry poles were gone (Thanks Dad & Hubs!) and now we have a new watering system - and bed for growing veggies. We're so excited - okay, I am so excited.

Next step? Soil delivery. VERY exciting. And then we order up plants, get them into the ground and sit back and watch our backyard become our own little oasis.

So what comes after our garden transformation? A new roof and new kitchen.

Lots of stuff in the works! Stay tuned...

Best Toy Web Site

http://www.educationaltoysplanet.com

Mo Twah Booberry Yoyo Peas

Chase is talking up a storm these days - and she is constantly coming up with new sentences. Her latest? "Mo Twoh Booberry Yoyo Peas." This means, "more cold blueberry yogurt please."

She is getting too good at hide and seek. Maybe that's because there are only so many places to hide downstairs.

And she has fallen in love with puzzles. She can almost complete a 12-piece puzzle by herself, but she still needs hints like, "I think you might be looking for the dog eyes," or "maybe you want the pig's feet."

I finally got her to kick the habit of listening to the Little Einsteins in the car (it was driving me batty!) - she was gifted a "World Playground" CD, which is SO fabulous. It has children's songs from around the world on it - and they don't make you want to hit your head against the wall.

And I am still trying to figure out this whole school thing. Where to send her. When. Yada yada, yada. Now I'm thinking about investigating the Spanish Montessori immersion school they have here. Could be interesting.

Dad and Fern are out visiting - it's so nice to see them! They spent today skiing at Veil. Tomorrow they're helping us do some landscaping - I'm so excited! Huge thanks to them for coming all this way and helping us get our home ship shape.

Updates

Steamboat was amazing. Hubs and I decided to pony-up and pay for a sitter for Chase so that I could go snow-shoeing with Renee. We did the actual snow-shoeing in Catamount, just about 10 minutes outside of Steamboat. It was amazing. I love it there - and it was so fabulous to catch up with our friends from London.

I tend to buy new things for Chase when we travel. To keep her busy. This time around, the runaway hit was a wooden train set. Chase played with it continuously. At one point, we looked over and she was actually re-laying the tracks, taking them apart and then putting them back together so the train could go in a different direction.

Chase's actual birthday was filled with lots of presents, a trip to the zoo, a ride in the zoo train (she LOVED it), and a ride on the carousal (she refused to actually ride on any animals and clung to me with all her might).

She also had her 2-year check-up. The one thing that I keep coming back to, which I didn't mention before, is that I told the doctor about her fear of water, but instead of saying, "oh that's normal," or "try this, try that," he told me to go buy an herbal remedy called "rescue remedy" and basically dope her before bath time to take the edge off. Yah, I don't think so. Instead, I sit in the tub and bath all the Einsteins before bathing Chase. I'm sure this too, shall pass.

Her birthday bowling bash is tomorrow. Should be interesting. We're expecting 10 kids total. Who knows how many adults. If everyone shows that's about 30 people. Good thing it's not at our house. Strange thing is I'm a little stressed about it. Given I have coordinated black tie gala events for 100s of people, I keep thinking of things I should be doing, but then I say, "self, you've got to relax, she is just turning 2."

Soccer, meanwhile, is going fabulously. Chase scored three goals today. Okay, so the ball wasn't moving before she kicked it. And it was set just outside the goal (hard to miss).

She is linking three words. She made our dinner last night (manacotti and salad). She took off her clothes (almost all by herself) and put them in the dirty clothes basket.

In honor of her 2-year birthday, I relocated pots and pans to provide her with her own cabinet in the kitchen, complete with dishes, bowls, cups, napkins and utensils. She loves it.

She also LOVES puzzles. We have a wooden, 12-piece, farm puzzle that she can almost put together on her own (clever girl). Hubs was wowed because she was actually looking for each specific piece.

She still adores the Einsteins, although Clifford is moving into the spotlight more and more. Curious George is like an old buddy, as is Elmo.

In other news, Chase was wait-listed (DRAT) at Children's Garden Montessori. She's number 5. I don't know what that means, or how good/bad our chances are... but I'm thinking it might be time to try to figure out something else.

Chase's 2-Year Check-Up

Just returned from her 2-year check up. She has dropped in weight from 60th percentile to 40th percentile. She has grown (of course) and is now up to 95th percentile for length (compared to 90th percentile), and her head cir. is 75th percentile (basically in line with where it has always been). The doctor was not worried about the weight drop.

We discussed her all-day-buffet eating, and he said there are three types of eaters, and all-day-buffet is one, so not to worry. The biggest challenge is to make sure that each time they eat - that each meal represents one food group. Which I haven't been doing - and certainly makes sense.

She has achieved (and surpassed) her 2-year milestones. She had her second Hep-A, which means she's good to go!

The only thing that the doctor indicated a little concern about? Her sleep pattern. At this age, kids should still be napping at least once a day at a regular time, and going to sleep at roughly the same time (give or take a half hour), and sleeping through the night. He said he wasn't concerned that she wasn't getting enough, he was more concerned that as care givers an erratic sleep schedule can be exhausting. The only remedy is to stay in one place and establish a pattern. Hmmm, doesn't sound likely seeing as how we have travel plans for April and May.

The good news, I guess, is that there are no major time zone changes.

Long Time, No Post

Okay, so it isn't like I've had nothing to say. I have. I just haven't had the time.

We spent the week following our trip to Europe getting over colds. All of us had one. We were miserable and no fun to be around. We were going to bed at 8:00 p.m. every night, if we could stay up that late.

Then daylight savings happened. And Chase's sleep schedule is SO messed-up, she didn't fall asleep until around 9:00 p.m. last night, not that we would know, we were both zonked out on either side of her. We woke up at 11:00 - she was fast asleep, nestled between us.

So what else? Well, Chase is gorgeous as always. Pictures from Budapest still to come (when I actually have a few minutes).

Perhaps the biggest hurdle we are facing at the moment is that Chase is terrified of water. It just happened. She hates the bathtub. I took her to the swimming pool yesterday (yes, I got into a bathing suit), and she screamed "no, no, no" the entire time. We spent 15 minutes there and then decided it was not worth the drama - or the trauma.

Today I ventured to the gym, for the first time in TWO years. It was fabulous. I ran for 15 minutes and felt pretty good about myself, because it was (1) the first time in two years, (2) at high altitude and (3) the first time in two years. Oh and it was the first time in two years. And then I went to collect Chase from the childcare facility, only to find her sobbing so hard she couldn't breath. And the childcare guy wasn't even paying attention to her. I wanted to grab him by his 24-hour fitness polo shirt and scream at him "why didn't you page me?" But instead I asked him the question in a calm, yet terse voice. He said, "oh, she'd cry and then stop and then cry and then stop." O-MY-GOSH-MAN. So we're never going back. Even if Chase is unhappy, she never screams like that.

So now it's back to trying to figure out how to get exercise - with her. Maybe we should just make monthly trips to Budapest.

"Mommy, YAY!" "Daddy, YAY!"

Possibly the cutest thing ever. Chase has started adding "YAY" to words she really likes. And we are lucky enough that mommy and daddy are on that list.

On that note, she is doing a lot more talking these days. Naming everything she sees. I have to remind myself that she doesn't want everything she names, that she is simply naming items to show me how much she knows.

And speaking of our little know it all, while we were in Budapest Chase counted to 10. Yes, that's right. I'm not kidding. She was just counting rocks - and adding the number to each. It was UN-BELIEVABLE.

She also loves singing to herself - and to others. She was singing to Taggart this morning. Super, uber-doober cute.

For The Love Of Travel

So we've finally "settled" back in to Denver. Pictures from our trip will be posted soon.

I have to say this trip to Europe was easily the most difficult trip we've made to date. Why? I think it was because Chase is nearly two. This means she (1) actually realizes she has feelings and wants to do things a certain way, (2) likes to walk in the opposite direction of where we need to go, (3) likes to snack all the time, and (4) is getting way too heavy to carry all-day-long.

We thought we had it all figured out. We have a hip carrier that we carefully placed in the car. And then left it in the car once we got to the airport. By mistake. Or should I say, BIG mistake. We tried to buy a stroller for Chase on three different occasions - and each time Chase shook her head, "no," and arched her back when we tried to place her in it. Hubs even tried not so subliminal methods to influencer her, "see?" he'd say to her (arms burning). "That baby is very happy in his stroller. And look, he can even play with toys and read a book while he's in it." Hubs must have pointed out every stroller he saw on DAY 3. Miss Chase was still adamant she would NOT NOT NOT be one of those happy babies. She was quite happy, thank you very much, being so close to us.

So that aside, she was really an amazing little traveler. Oh, and besides the fact she did not sleep through a single night (and got up the first four to color, read, play), she really did very well. Her parents, on the other hand, were so b-l-e-e-p-i-n-g tired by the end of it, we could barely talk to each other without getting snippy. It didn't help we were both sick out of our heads on the last day and couldn't even hear each other - and couldn't talk any louder because our throats hurt.

But seriously, it was good be out and about again. I found myself with a renewed level of appreciation for our home, our life.

I found there were things I really didn't miss: (1) city air, (2) city playgrounds, (3) rough toilet paper, (4) check out people at the grocery store who are mean, (5) buying things I think are one thing and then finding they are something else (in Budapest I kept meaning to buy yogurt, but ended up with sour cream, quark and something in between. I also wanted to buy milk, but somehow ended up with chocolate milk, cheese that was too strong for Chase to eat, an unidentifiable meat product cut in to slices and sparking water when I wanted still).

But on the bright side of it all, Budapest was really lovely. The weather was warm, the sky was blue. I would, however, compare Budapest to a tired old lady, who used to be exceptionally beautiful, but now has lots of scars. The buildings that were once grand and falling apart. There is little in the way of color (I recall Prague's buildings were all gorgeous terracotta, greens, pale yellows, creams). The streets are larger and straighter (as compared to Prague's winding, cobblestones). Budapest was bigger (sort like how Seattle is to Portland). And there wasn't much in the way of a local art scene (Prague was filled with galleries).

But there was great food (goulash, stuffed cabbage, strudel). And most likely a great night life - although Hubs and I were back at the hotel by 8:30 p.m. each night. If one was young and hip, and without a toddler in tow, one might really enjoy it there.

We were really lucky in the hotel we selected (Hotel Starlight). It was inexpensive and clean. The room was large and had a living room, bedroom and large bathroom. The location couldn't be beat, and there was a playground right down the street that Chase loved. The only down side was that there wasn't a kitchen in the hotel, so we had to fly by the seat of our pants when it came to feeding Chase.

Lessons learned on this trip? We are definitely not doing any "city breaks" again anytime soon. I think from here on out we're going to be resort-bound --- at least for a little while.

Friends

What a whirlwind adventure our trip to Europe was - we arrived at 6 a.m. on Saturday, after a 10 hour flight, had breakie with our friends the Suni-Andersons, showered and headed out to a pub-"D0." Unfortunately, we were utterly exhausted and forgot our camera, but our friends Isaac and Elaina captured some great shots of Chase with her two friends, Felix and Callia.

Felix, it is worth noting, was born exactly a month before Chase and her mom, Emma (pictured), was one of the people I spent the most time with in the last couple months before Chase was born. We grumbled to each other when our husbands got tired of listening to the aches and pains that come with the third trimester.

It was amazing to see Felix - he was soooo grown up and so handsome. Callia was a beauty as well. Elaina, bless her, made the trip out with Callia and the newest member of their family - her two week old daughter (thank you)!

I do hope all the kiddos can all keep in touch in the years to come.

Oh, and pay no attention to Chase's hair. It was utterly unkempt. The entire time. Both because she refuses to bathe (grubby girl) and because we found ourselves in an environment where there was actually moisture in the air (in Denver, her hair is flat, flat, flat).

Whatever It Is YOU Do

I have been really bad at updates. I know. I have been even worse at taking pictures.

So let's see, what has happened since my last update?

• Chase had a full blown tantrum in Target (read: screaming, arching back, kicking, rolling around on the floor), because she didn't want to wear her shoes. Oh, and it was lunch time and she was hungry and tired. Yah, note to self.

• We enrolled her in a tiny tot soccer program. She even has a uniform. She starts in March.
  

• Chase's Mandarin is coming along. She loves her tutor. Her pronunciation is improving.
  

• We're heading to London next week with plans to spend a couple days in Budapest to celebrate Chase's second birthday. (wow, has it really been two years?)
  

• NeeNee KarKar and Poppa Joe have been out visiting - it has been wonderful! Pictures to come.
  

A little story from yesterday - so Karla (Hub's mom) and I are in the fabric store looking for curtain material. We found a beautiful green silk (so yummy). And the lady behind the counter, who had quite the approach to life, laid into me here and there because I don't really "get" sewing. Like, I'm trying to learn, okay? So at the end of our time there, she said to me, in a sardonic tone, "well honey, I'm sure that whatever it is YOU do, you're very good at it."

Zoo Fundraiser

I have talked a local coffee shop in to hosting a fundraiser.

Chase has painted 6 pieces of art, each will be sold for $10.00 - and all proceeds will be donated to the Denver Zoo's Red Apple Fund, a fund that helps children who can't afford the zoo with an opportunity to visit the zoo.

Our goal is to sell each of the following pieces before the show (which is slated for March).

So family members, please let me know which piece to reserve for you. I will mail them to you following her show - so you will receive them in April. Please send checks or cash to Chase Allbritton. All donations are welcome.

Canvases are 6" x 8" - mixed media (acrylic paint with glitter pen) - so without further ado:

"Monkey House"














"Giraffe" (SOLD) - Thanks to Aunt Michelle!














"Hippo" (SOLD) - I'm keeping one!














"Cheetah" (SOLD!) Thanks Joe & Karla!














"Polar Bear" (SOLD!) - Thanks, Dad!














"Elephant" - (SOLD) Thanks, Mom!

Doll House

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

I must admit something.

I really was planning on celebrating the Chinese New Year, but I became overwhelmed with cleaning and straightening up the house after my mom - and husband - confirmed I am a slob.

I prefer to think of myself as having better things to do with my time then spend it cleaning. Like taking care of a 2-year-old, who delights in unpacking shelves. And it's not like we live in a messy-mess.

At first glance everything looks pretty good. It's just if you open a cabinet or closet, you see things are jammed inside. Hubs tried to make me feel better, "Don't worry, I knew you were a slob when I married you." Thanks, hon.

But I digress.

So I was planning on doing some New Year celebrations - and I think I will go buy some oranges, flowers, dumplings and spring rolls today (so we can enjoy them tomorrow). But it just doesn't feel the same. The celebrations here aren't as grand. We don't have fireworks going off EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY for months before (and after).

So on to the Year of The Rat...
Following are some predictions from Paul NG. (http://www.paulng.com/CMS/index.php?/archives/18-PREDICTIONS-FOR-2008-Year-of-Earth-Rat.html)

- There are 3 “wood” elements in this combination, resulting in good news concerning land and real estate.
- This may be a record year for single old ladies to re-marry.
- Marriage involving older women and younger men would continue.
- The world’s political picture, especially USA and UK, could be very dark, owing to many terrorist attacks.
- There would be plenty of water problems worldwide, such as flooding.
- The polar ice will speed up its melting process, thus increasing the water level in the oceans.
- On the bright side, this is a good year for economic recoveries. Many businesses would do well.
-There would be some kind of breakthroughs in cancer treatments.
- Food businesses would do well too, especially those targeting weddings and births.
- Gold and Metals would do well in general
-Textiles would do well, for the first time in many years, especially those targeting the Beijing Olympics.
- Metals businesses may suffer, especially Northern American cars . There would be major layoffs.
- Soda Water businesses also would be outperformed by Pure Water.
- Travel industry would do well in the north , especially mountainous areas .

Projection for the World Stock Markets:

February Positive

• March: Positive
• April: First half of month better than second half
• May Positive
• June Positive, but with volatility
• July Positive
• August : Negative
• September : Negative
• October: Second half of month better than first half
• November : First half of month better than second half
• December: First half of month better than second half
• January (2009): Positive

For more about each sign - visit:
http://www.usbridalguide.com/special/chinesehoroscopes/Rat.htm

Super Tuesday

Today Chase and I attended the Colorado Democratic Caucus.
It was packed. We were like Democratic sardines. Shoulder to shoulder.
My precinct had 160 people in it (and there were at least 5 precincts there).

Chase loved it.
When it came time to vote, she raised both her hands for Obama.
Not that she really had any idea what she was doing.
I think she was just caught up in the moment.

Hubs attended the Republican Caucus.
He had 10 people in his precinct.

At my Caucus, it was madness. Totally unorganized. Mayhem.
But it was totally fun - and totally American.
The election of the delegates was painful.
Our lead had no idea how to handle it.
After they were elected, we headed for the door.
Beat the rush, you know.
But Chase didn't want to go.
She LOVED it there.
Although she was exhausted out of her mind.

Overall, election night has been pretty interesting.

First - terrible news: seven people were killed in the South - due to Tornadoes.

Second - Chicago's first 20 voters were given styluses and their vote didn't register (so they are voting again).

Third - California is reporting they are running out of ballots due to high voter turn out.

Should be interesting to see the results tomorrow...

Super Tuesday

Tomorrow is "Super Tuesday."
Maybe I'll wear a cape.

Tomorrow is the first time I will have ever (a) voted on "Super Tuesday" and (b) been involved with a caucus.

And I'm looking forward to it.

I have been contacted by Obama's people four times (each time I spoke with a real, live, person).
Hillary, on the other hand, left a voice message.
And no, it wasn't live.

I have really been impressed by Obama's people.
I have not been very impressed by Hillary's ability to leave voice mail.

And so tomorrow I vote.

Nana Cris

Thank you so much to Nana Cris for making the trip to Denver.
We SO enjoyed spending time with you.
We loved the time at the Museum of Nature & Science.
Eating lunch in the car.
Walking Angel and Taggart.
The time at the zoo.
Playing hide & seek.

Totally fabulous.

I wish I had spent more time taking pictures.
Here are only a few...




















































































Chase already misses you - and Angel!
We tried playing hide & seek without you, and it's just not the same.

A special thank you from us parents - thanks so much for making omelettes, letting us take a night on the town and letting us sleep in (felt like a weekend away, even though we only slept in one hour).

Potty

Potty-talk has become all the rage in our house. Not a day goes by where the word potty, pee-pee and pooh-pooh are not uttered.

I bought Chase a little, blue, plastic toilet in China. It looks like a real toilet, but it is blue. Well, Chase liked it quite a bit, until it was actually time to sit on it. So I thought, maybe she needs a toilet insert - so she can use the big toilet. So we went to Target and she picked out a Dora "Let's Go" potty seat insert. But she won't sit on it.

She will tell me now, when she needs to go to the bathroom, but she won't sit on the potty. So what's holding me back from starting to potty train her?

With another international flight looming in March, I can just picture the fasten seat belt sign "on" while my daughter shrieks "pee pee, pooh pooh!" Going into airplane toilets is hard enough with a baby, I can't imagine doing it with a toddler that is just learning to use the bathroom.

Notes On The House

It occurred to me that I should post an entry about our house.

For the first time in four years, we actually have all of our art up, our furniture out, and our various bits and pieces that we've collected over the years - unpacked. And it feels great. It feels like home. It feels like a place I never want to leave, but don't want to be my whole life (I know, it's complicated, and bless Hubs, he "gets it.")

The house, which I was initially on the fence about (only because we bought it after looking at houses for two days), is really such a gem. Despite the fact I wish it was just a little bigger - and that we had just a little more land (like enough to have goats and chickens for Chase - or at least a proper length for lawn bowls or croquet), it is quite comfortable.

But, despite our best efforts, we have more dog doo in the backyard than will fit in a normal trash can. Why have we let so much accumulate out back? Because every time it snowed, the poo was covered. And yes, it took too much motivation to go outside and "hunt" for it. Not to mention, we have better things to do.

So we're getting a fence put in to confine the dog doodles to one area of the yard. It will actually be a good size run, so Taggart will not really be confined. This will allow for us to get our backyard in working order - and ensure that when we have friends over we don't have to scream, "watch out for doodles." Now we just have to motivate to go above and beyond and instead of just sliding the glass door - we'll have to walk him out to his run. That is, until we renovate the kitchen, which is now scheduled for August.

What else? Well, only because I'm here all the time. I happened to notice the entire house is painted yellow inside. Except the bedrooms. And while I have always liked yellow, I find myself needing more color. Deeper, darker, more intense colors. So that will be my new project, come Summer (when I can open windows).

All in all, the house is fabulous.

Return To Square One

It has been a LONG time since we properly entertained other people.

Like four years.
Yes, that's right.

And so I decided to start inviting people over to dinner.

I thought it would be easy, but instead I've found it a bit more difficult than I remember it. Maybe it's because I now have to cook for toddlers, too? Or maybe it's because we don't have an oven that works? Or maybe it's because I don't believe in microwaves? (my aunt told me they were bad, I didn't believe her, and then I did some research and found they alter the composition of food, significantly decrease nutrition levels and introduce toxins to the body) Plus, I have to learn how to cook at high altitude!

So long story short, everything has to be done stove top or in a crock pot or on the BBQ - and I still have very little idea as to how long things actually have to cook here. Even though water boils sooner, it takes meat longer to cook.

So what have I learned?

First the kid stuff:
1) You've got to take the kids meal as seriously as the adult meal. Only it's a different kind of serious. You have to make it nutritious, but "fun." I definitely didn't make the kids meals fun enough. The mac and cheese, that I thought would surely be a hit, was way over-cooked (thanks high-altitude) - all three times I made it (for the record, I don't have a great track record of cooking things out of boxes).

2) You've got to have "cool" drinks. Like Vanilla milk (organic) - and definitely a hit. And cool things to drink out of - the latest/greatest are Elmo plastic cups with lids. I hate them. But they are convenient and Chase LOVES them.

3) It's a good idea to have activity stations. And even though TV is NOT GOOD FOR KIDS, I have to say it really worked well to feed the kids first and then put Little Einsteins in and let the kids watch while the adults sat down at the dinner table. I thought the TV idea would be met with "what? put them in front of TV?" but instead, the adults were all like, "yah, that's a great idea."

4) Toothpicks (aka funpicks). Kids love 'em! And I lost my box. So I was fresh outta fun picks.

Now on to adults:
1) Don't plan anything too fancy (that requires any work while your guests are there). Do all prep work in advance so you can spend time talking and watching/playing with kids.

2) Don't expect your guests (or yourself) to be able to sit down at a certain time (this led to one of my meals becoming cold before we ate). So covered dishes are a must. I made the mistake of serving plates and that just didn't work well at all.

3) Don't worry about courses. Your guests are just happy to be "out."

4) Dessert. Might be best served in the living room where you can play/observe the kids. Same goes for apps.

All my secrets are out!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

I have always liked spicy food.
And when I was preggers with Chase I could not get enough of it.
I craved the heat. So much so, I always needed an extra bowl of chilies.
I would even put Tabasco on pizza.

So I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Chase's new favorite jelly is Jalapeño Blueberry. I'm not kidding. She loves it on crackers or whole wheat mini beagles. It cracks me up.

Our Schedule Keeps Us Busy

So much in the pipeline!

Nana Cris is coming out this week. We can't wait to see her.
Then, in mid-February, NeeNee KarKar and Poppa Joe will be here.
Then, in late February, we're off to London and Scotland to celebrate Chase's 2nd birthday (Oh, and Brian might just sneak in a game of rugby with his mates from school).
Then, we have March to re-acclimate to this time zone, before heading down South to Mississippi.

Hopefully in May we can visit my Grandparents in Baltimore (fingers crossed!).

National Western Livestock Show

Linus, one of Chase's little friends, invited us to go to the National Western Livestock Show.

Okay, so he didn't actually invite us - his mom did.

Back story: We met them at the library when we first moved to Denver, and I immediately felt grateful to know them. As I meet more and more moms, I feel so blessed to have so many different parenting styles to learn from. Linus's mom favors books to TV, organic to non-organic, outdoor to indoor activities and is all about being there for Linus - every minute of every day. She has, perhaps, the closest parenting style to mine.

Here's Linus ... Isn't he cute?














And Chase...














Okay, so the place was MASSIVE. There was an entire floor dedicated to kiddos.




















Chase stayed VERY close to me (aka in my arms) for most of the morning. She did make a few exceptions. Like when she wanted to pat the bunny...














And look at the cows...














And play with the sheep, goats and pigs...

Okay, so this part was hilarious. They had a corner of the building fenced off with goats, pigs, lamas and lambs all running about. The kids could spend as much time petting the animals as they wanted. It was brilliant. We would have stayed longer, but my allergies gave me a clear signal it was time to go. (Maybe I'll ask Dada to take her back this weekend - she LOVED it).














And we had to stop to try on hats... (okay, bad picture, but I had to act quickly -she was moving faster than a top)...














All in all it was a good morning. She was exhausted (as was I) by noon. But somehow soldiered through until 4:30 p.m. (queen o' no naps).

But I tell you what, if it was feasible to own a farm where she could run free and play with sheep, pigs and goats, I would do it!

Date Night

We went out to Sushi Den last night. We arrived at 6:20; the wait for a table was an hour.

So we parked ourselves at the bar and "people watched." We met a little man, who played soccer with Manchester United (for one month) before he was sent home. We saw two women who were probably in their late 40s, who had so much work done there were only tiny lines that could tell who they once were. They both had massive, bee-stung lips that almost touched their nose.

Oh, and the sushi was - UNBELIEVABLE.

Tree Update

So we still have the tree.
I've contacted my family and I'm pretty sure I can find SOMEONE to plant it in Oregon.
The trick is - how to get it there.

My uncle, who works for the Department of Environmental Quality has indicated he thinks it will take more carbon to get the tree to Oregon, than the tree can consume once it's planted. Hmmm.

Maybe if I sent it to Oregon with a Diesel truck driver?

Favorites

Just a quick note that Chase no longer favors Curious George. He's so yesterday.

Elmo is so red and so NOW.

A close second is anything having anything to do with June, Leo, Quincy and Annie (Little Einsteins) ... or Winnie-the-Pooh. And Dora has somehow managed to stay popular.

New House!

So excited. Today our offer was accepted on a little house. A little doll house. It's made of wood (HURRAY) and is a real fixer-upper. But it has great bones and great potential. It's even wired for electricity.

Yes, we're starting Chase early on the property ladder.

one of THOSE days

So I'm checking out job boards in Denver. Again.

I am so torn. I thought everything was supposed to become clear.
That I would k_n_o_w if I am a stay-at-home type or a working type mom.
The truth is I don't know. And I don't know if I will ever know.

Bad Car Karma

So yesterday was a bad car karma day.

Hubs took the Volvo to the mountain - and the sunroof shattered while he was driving. I went to use our truck, only to find the front tire was flat - too flat to drive. And so I decided to take out our little ooh la la hot & spicy sports car, which as soon as I turned it on, it made a high pitched screeching sound (luckily it was only the heating fan).

So this week will be all about fixing cars.

More Tree Updates

Still no word from Denver Botanical Gardens. If there is one place that could house a 70 foot pine tree - inside - it would probably be them.

I'm going to look into how much it costs to send the tree to Oregon by post.

Tree Drama

Okay, ready for this? So we had a landscaper out today, who informed me - GET THIS - that the Christmas tree I bought is NOT ZONED for Colorado. And that if I planted it outside, it would die.

So I went to Home Depot, the place where I bought this tree, and spoke to the customer service folks there. Here's how it went...

"I bought a live tree from you that is not zoned to be planted in Colorado." - me

"Did we have it inside the building or outside when you bought it?" - HD customer service

"Inside." - me

"Well that's because it's supposed to be an indoor plant." - HD

"I find that highly unlikely. It's supposed to grow to be 70 feet tall. You can't HONESTLY tell me that it is meant to be an indoor plant." - me

"Do you have your receipt?" - HD

"No. I thought I was going to plant it outside." - me

"You could always return it and then we will probably just throw it away." - HD

"Well that kind of goes against the whole concept of buying a tree so that I can plant it. I mean doesn't it seem a little strange that you would sell a live tree that can't be planted in this state?" - me

"I don't know what else to say, except you could return it to us." - HD

"Can't you send it to another Home Depot in another state where it could actually be planted?" - me

"No. We don't exchange live goods with other stores." - HD

"Well that's just great. Thanks so much." - me

"Have a good day." - HD

Still Nothing

I called and left another message with the Mayor's Mile High Million campaign and the Denver Botanical Gardens. Still no word as to what to do with my tree.

Doing The Right Thing

So I'm sure I've mentioned that we bought a LIVE tree for Christmas this year. The idea being that we would enjoy it, and then re-home it after the holidays. I guess it's worth mentioning that this tree is supposed to grow to 70 feet, so it's not like I can just plant it in the corner of the yard.

Well, the re-homing process has turned out to be quite difficult. I called the Denver tree planting group - they won't take it because it isn't one of the trees they are allowed to plant.

So I called the Denver Botanical Gardens. I have not heard back from them.

So then I did some research. Turns out the Mayor of Denver is looking to plant 1 million trees by 2009. Jackpot, right? Wrong. I haven't heard back from the Mayor's people about my offer to donate a tree to his cause. Hubs thinks they're busy out planting trees and haven't received my voice mail yet. Yah, whatever!

So I'm going to try the Denver Botanical Gardens again - and then the Mayor's office (again!) and if they don't call me back, I might try putting it on eBay.

Thing is, I've gotten a little attached to my tree, and I want Pinola to go to a good home.

Grow, Girl. Grow.

Thought it was worth mentioning that Chase is now wearing size 7.5 - 8 shoes. She is now moving into 3T clothes, many of her 2T clothes are too small. I have no idea how big her head is (she won't sit still long enough for me to measure it). Size 5 diapers (27lbs plus) don't seem big enough. Oh, and she's 21.5 months old.

Toddler Lounge Singer

Chase has developed a somewhat raspy voice over the past two days. Not sure how she got it - she hasn't had a runny nose, a fever, or has acted out-of-sorts. It's almost as though she needs to clear her throat but doesn't know how.

When she sings "baa baa black sheep," in her little, raspy voice, I can't help but imagine her as a toddler lounge singer. Too bad it isn't Halloween, that would make for a great costume.

But seriously, fingers crossed it clears up in the next day or so, or we may need to visit el pediatrician-o.

Have Passport - Must Travel

As I sit down to plan our trip to London and Scotland, I find myself feeling a bit rusty.

So: Where to go? London definitely - all our favorite places. Scotland certainly. Haven't been there yet. Must go. Quite interested in Haidrian's Wall, Edinburgh and Loch Ness. All is doable, but it's going to be a real "Go Dogs, Go" kinda trip. And I wonder how to schedule activities (a much larger, heavier Chase will be in tow) and what to pack (last time I forgot socks).

Growing So Fast

Chase continues to amaze and surprise us. She loves art, painting, drawing, and glitter G-L-U-E. She enjoys, but gets frustrated by, puzzles. She loves her nesting boxes, and will spend about a half hour nesting and un-nesting them.

She can't seem to get enough stickers, so you can imagine my joy when I came across books that come with magnets - they're awesome.

Dog Park

So we have been taking Taggart to the dog park. Every day. For the past four days. And I have to say I have noticed a major difference in him. He is no longer the hyper, needy, second-toddler in the house. No. He's now the mellow (exhausted) pooch who lounges about while we go about our business.

It's a beautiful thing.

Methinks We Are All Getting Sick

Crumbs.

Maternal Profiling Info Thanks To MomsRising

Maternal Profiling was recently reported on as one of the new buzzwords of 2007 in the New York Times (and members of MomsRising were credited with introducing this term into our national consciousness!). They defined it as:

"Employment discrimination against a woman who has, or will have, children. The term has been popularized by members of MomsRising, an advocacy group promoting the rights of mothers in the workplace."

SPREAD THE WORD: Join us in our New Year's resolution to help stamp out Maternal Profiling. Share this term with friends and family by forwarding this email (or by using our easy online tell-a-friend system @ http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1768/tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=2295. You can also read about how others experience Maternal Profiling on our blog, and if you're so moved, share your story of Maternal Profiling at the end of the blog as well.

*Click here to read more about Maternal Profiling, including how it impacts you & comment on our blog: http://www.momsrising.org/node/710

This new phrase is powerful because it brings forward a shared experience--helping to frame national understanding of the causes of and solutions to discrimination against mothers. Sexual harassment is a phrase which helped spark major legislative and cultural changes. Widespread use of the phrase "Maternal Profiling" can similarly help spark major changes.

And major changes are needed. One recent study found that mothers are 79% less likely to be hired than non-mothers with equal resumes and job experiences. Mothers also face discrimination in their paychecks: Women without children make 90 cents to a man's dollar, but mothers make only 73 cents to a man's dollar, and single mothers make about 60 cents to a man's dollar. Working together, we can stamp out Maternal Profiling and make our nation more truly family-friendly.

NEED AN EXCITING CONVERSATION STARTER? Use this Pop Quiz as a conversation starter, and as an easy way to share the term with friends (You can test friends over coffee, see if friends can make their own wacky definitions, and try it out on relatives). The more people who understand and use the word, the faster we'll be able to stop the practice. Let's get rid of it!

Have a very Happy New Year!

- Mary, Cooper, Kristin, Joan, Nanette, Donna, Anita, Katie

-------So what is Maternal Profiling really? And is it happening to you and your friends?------

Sadly, the answer to the second question is, yes, if you're a mother in America, then Maternal Profiling has likely happened to you. Maternal Profiling is a significant and shared problem which negatively impacts vast numbers of women in our nation, particularly since a full 82% of American women become mothers by the time they are forty-four years old. And, the workplace impacts of Maternal Profiling are jaw dropping, especially given that three-quarters of American mothers are now in the labor force.

In fact, the American Journal of Sociology recently reported a study which found that mothers are 79% less likely to be hired than non-mothers with equal resumes and job experiences. (Sadly, that wasn't a typo. The study really found that mothers are 79% less likely to be hired.)

Mothers also face steep wage hits and unequal wages for equal work. One study found that, with the exact same resume and qualifications, mothers are offered an average of $11,000 LESS than non-mothers for the same upper-level positions. Another study found that women without children make 90 cents to a man's dollar, but mothers make only 73 cents to a man's dollar, and single mothers make about 60 cents to a man's dollar.

Fortunately, we know how to narrow these wage gaps and how to stop Maternal Profiling. Countries with family-friendly policies in place--such as paid family leave after the birth of a child and subsidized childcare--don't have the same degree of maternal wage hits as we do here. That's one of the reasons why MomsRising is fighting for family-friendly policies, as well as for laws that protect mothers and other caregivers from discrimination in the workplace. Cultural change is another way to help stop Maternal Profiling: The more people who become aware of what are often subconscious discriminatory actions, the less often those discriminatory actions will happen. So it's important that as many people as possible learn about the widespread practice of Maternal Profiling.

*Take a moment to help spread the word (literally!) to friends and family by forwarding them our Pop Quiz.

P.S. Don't forget to get more details about Maternal Profiling and share your experiences at the end of that blog by clicking here: http://www.momsrising.org/node/710

P.P.S. Read the recent New York Times article which includes Maternal Profiling and MomsRising here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/weekinreview/23buzzwords.html

Must Have

Consumerism has been on my mind as of late.

Maybe it's because we just had a big influx of gifts (thanks Santa). Maybe it's because Hubs and I lived on so little (two duffel bags each) for four years. Or maybe it's because we now we have more STUFF then we know what to do with.

And I don't mean to go all Angelina Jolie, but after living in China, it's hard not to look at the way we live and the things we consume differently.

After seeing the pollution and poverty first hand (it easy to blame the Chinese, when in fact much of it is caused thanks to American demand for more inexpensive crap than you can shake a stick at) and getting to know the Chinese people and culture (both of which I love), I feel so conflicted.

It's hard not to want more - always. It's hard not to want the newest this and the newest that. Why can't we just be happy with what we have?

UGH. I just feel all caught-up in -- and disgusted with -- consumerism at the moment.

WORST MOVIE EVER

Otherwise known as "I am Legend."
(Warning: Spoilers ahead)

Let me tell you why.

1) It's about Zombies
2) Will Smith watches his wife and daughter die
3) Will Smith has to kill his own dog
4) It's about viral diseases that spread out of control
5) Will Smith has to kill his own dog
6) Will Smith kills himself in the end
7) Will Smith has to kill his own dog

And so we went to this movie, on our "date night" -- and I came away wanting to build a bunker somewhere remote that is completely self-sustaining.