Summertime Ritual #2

Popsicles. Enough said.

Granted for now it's just Pop Ice, but we have to start small (and relatively clean) before graduating on to the real thing - Bomb Pops or Itzakadoozies. No surprise the popsicle was a hit with Morgan.

Also, before you go reporting me, the girl is next-to-naked only because I expected a much larger mess. And because I followed up the popsicle with another frolic in the hose. Good times. Makes me wanna be a kid again too -- oh wait, I get the joy of living it through Morgan. Thank you Lord.

I'm pretty sure I have the cutest kid ever. (No offense to your kid who I'm sure is just cheek-pinching adorable as well.)

Summer is here!

Now that the thermometer is consistently registering in the 90s and our grass is nearly crispy-fried, I have to relent and admit that San Antonio's six months of summer have arrived. The Midwesterner in me really does try to pretend it isn't here for as long as possible, but there's no denying this sweltering heat anymore. Jonathan even knew I had given in when he came home a few weeks ago and said to Morgan, "Wow, Mommy's wearing shorts. I haven't seen that in awhile." So it's time to stock up on sunscreen, tank tops, and deodorant ... lots of deodorant.

This will be the first summer Morgan is actually old enough to enjoy summer and all its richness. I am going to try to fulfill as many of those required childhood summertime "must's" as I can -- though maybe not all this year. She checked the first one off her list last week - playing in and drinking from the hose. While I was watering flowers, Morgan couldn't keep herself from the appeal of the hose. Although I initially tried to keep her from getting wet, she would not be deterred and I consented to the summertime ritual. She and the dog had a fabulous time drenching themselves in the cold water. I couldn't help but smile and take it all in.

So Jonathan chose a camera angle that makes it
look like I'm urinating in this one. Excellent...

Wickedly Cool

So here's a nifty little follow up to our NYC trip a few weeks ago ... remember how we had our credit card information stolen while we were there (which was discovered when we went to purchase our Wicked tickets)? As we had narrowed it down to one of two vendors who possibly perpetrated this offense, we decided it would be um... fair to let them know that they were potentially employing someone with this capacity to defame their business. One of these two vendors was the hotel we stayed in. When notified of said possibility, the manager on duty acted like "Yeah, so? You can't prove it was us. What do you want me to do about it?" Honestly, we weren't jerks about it ... really. When I got home, I posted a review of our hotel on TripAdvisor, my favorite of all travel forums, recounting our experience. No kidding when I tell you, the VP of their Property Management emailed me the next day to inquire further and then asked if he could call and speak to me as well. It took a few weeks but finally last week, he did call. Mr. VP was super cool and very apologetic. AND ... to make up for it, he offered to let us stay at either of their two NYC hotels "as his guest" whenever we want! Cool, huh? We currently have no plans to go back, but I promise you if the right airfare comes along, we'll be heading back to the Big Apple ... and leaving Little Miss with G&G again :)


Also, in the wake of NYC, I recently checked out the Wicked soundtrack from our library and am loving it just as much the second time around. Sadly, I feel like I have forgotten significant parts of the plot already that occassionally shake lose while I'm singing along as Glinda or Elpheba. In fact, I'm really starting to get the itch to suck it up and purchase tickets for one of the June performances of Wicked here in S.A. as part of Broadway Across America. I'm going to start praying for this little gift :)

In further pursuit of my own personal Wicked Mania, I additionally checked out Wicked (the book) by Gregory Maguire and have to say that so far I am whole-heartedly disappointed - nearly to the point where it is ruining the musical for me and I'm tempted to quit reading it just to perserve the integrity of that experience. Can anyone else offer me their thoughts on this?

What's new with Morgan? Well, I'm glad you asked. Her latest obsession is her "puppies" - the two pictured below. She loves to take them everywhere - as seen here eating lunch with her. She also takes them in the car, wherever we go running errands, and gives them rides in her little toy stroller. It's pretty amusing.


One is a husky like our real dog, Sasha. However, she insists its name is Roxie, like our cat. Whatever. Not a fight worth fighting. And the other is Tramp, from Disney's Lady and the Tramp. It does feel a little weird to tell my daughter that her dog's name is Tramp and then to hear her call him that. Does anyone know if this dog has another name?

Okay, so maybe we are related...

I just recently learned that Morgan's hair is now long enough to be pulled into these little pigtails of sorts. Jonathan actually calls them antennas because they stand straight out from her head. I don't care; I love them :) AND I'm tired of people not knowing whether Morgan is a boy or a girl when her hair is down.


So I sent this pic and another to our family members to show off the new 'do. After receiving them, my sister Kel promptly called me and proclaimed that I could no longer allege that Morgan and I don't look alike. After seeing the pic of me below, I think she may be right. Morgan definitely still favors Jonathan and his family, but no question about it, she's my girl :)

Me at 22 Months. Morgan is almost 20 months old right now.
I wonder if she'll get this much more hair in the next two months
or if she just got bad hair genes.

Mommy - My Favorite Title EVER

In my life so far, I've been a lot of things - a daughter, a sister, a student, a lawyer, a friend, a coworker, an award recipient, an elected official, a citizen, a voter, and so on. But hands-down, my favorite title is that of Mommy. And I do love hearing Morgan call me that ... well, except during the tantrums when it's being used to lament something I am unjustly depriving her of.

Being a Mom is the single hardest job/task I have ever undertaken. I never realized just how trying, tiring, and stressful it could be -- which makes me really cranky when people assume that because I am a stay-at-home mom I must be living the good life, eating bon bons on the couch, and wondering what to do with my lavish amounts of free time. For real, this is difficult work. And maybe I am just saying that because I'm bearing through the toddler years, but I kinda bet that each successive stage will present its own challenges.

However, it's the little things that make this job rewarding - like hearing Morgan call me Mommy now that she can talk, seeing her exuberant smile first thing in the morning or after a nap, hearing her squeals of delight or peals of laughter, watching her joyfully run to her Daddy when he comes home each day, feeling her cuddle into me while reading a book. I pray that God will always help me to see these so-called "little" things and that they would always be enough to outweigh the pressures and stresses of the bigger and seemingly more burdensome things. Lord, help me to see the blessing you have created my child to be ... and on THOSE days, the patience to wait until I see it.

So to my Moms and all other moms of one form or fashion in my life, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Thanks for all you do :) Here's a cute poem that you've probably already received via email forward a million times but is worth the read. My favorite line is the one that says, "I never knew I would love being a mom." So true.

BEFORE I WAS A MOM

Before I was a Mom;
I made and ate hot meals,
I had unstained clothing,
I brushed my hair every day,
I had quiet conversations on the phone,
I slept as late as I wanted and I slept all night long.

Before I was a Mom;
I cleaned my house each day,
I never tripped over toys or forgot lullabies,
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous,
I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on, chewed on, peed on, or
pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom;
I never thought about immunizations,
I never held a screaming child so the doctors could give shots,
I never looked into teary eyes and cried,
I never felt my heart break into pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt,
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

Before I was a Mom;
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down,
I never sat up late hours of the night watching a baby sleep,
I never got up in the middle of the night to make sure everything was okay,
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

Before I was a Mom;
I had complete control of my mind, my thoughts and my body,
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside of my body,
I didn't know that having something so small could make me feel so important,
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment, or the satisfaction of being a mom.

Before I was a Mom;
I never knew that something so small could effect my life so much,
I never knew that I could love someone so much,
I never knew I would love being a Mom,
I didn't know the bond between a Mother and her child,
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much.

All A'Buzz

I know you've all been waiting with bated breath to see my prom pics. It took me some doing to find them, and even once I found them, they were only wallet-size. I must have lost the 5x7s somewhere along the way. Needless to say, I apologize for any poor picture quality.

I did have quite a fun trip down memory lane on my scouring search. I found so many notes, pictures, and momentos from my high school years that brought back both good and not-so-good memories. For sure, I would not want to re-live high school again, but this little expedition was a fun one, if only to remember where I came from.

So, at long last, here you go. Feel free to laugh; just don't tell me you did - my delicate ego can't take it :)

Junior Prom ('95) with Tim #1
(What kind of Glamor Shots prom pose is this?!
...but look at those cool gloves!)

Junior Prom (themed 'Hold On To the Night' - thanks Amanda!) I attended with Tim #1. Tim #1 and I attended church and performed in the school plays with each other. A group of about eight of us, mostly drama folks, decided to take on this prom venture together. I remember this clan, which consisted of quite a few anxious-to-flee-H.S.-and-small-town-IL seniors, was an unusual bunch. Unusual in that they enjoyed mocking and even parodying the Nazis and the Masons. And the soundtrack to most all our get-togethers was anything by the Beatles. What can I say? They (or I should say we {choke}) were drama dorks. Naturally, our night at prom included several antics in keeping with this offbeat vein. It's funny - and a bit disturbting - to me now how at that time I thought so little of how bizzaire some of our actions were.

Now let me enlighten my Texas friends for a moment, up in Podunkville, IL, prom is not just a dance. It is an EVENT. Prom itself includes a sit down meal and dance at the same location with all your classmates and their dates. Included within the prom is what is known as the Grand March, where all the couples line up and parade into the ballroom together - basically like a bunch of bridesmaids and groomsmen entering a wedding reception. To make the March weirder, they allow parents to be there for this fantastic display of pomp. And then to top things off, the festivities always run into the next day when you, your date, and maybe a few friends make plans to go somewhere together - doing something besides driving-to-the-next-closest-town-for-dinner-or-a-movie which you did every other weekend. For example, after my Junior Prom, my group of unusual friends and I went up to Six Flags Great America for the day.

Senior Prom ('96) with Tim #2
(Holy Glow-In-The-Dark Skin Batman!!)

My date for Senior Prom (themed "Love Buzz") was my boyfriend of a few months, Tim #2. Again, we attended with a group of eight of our friends. (I think eight must have been the magic number a stretch limo could seat.) As a senior, I remember being so carefree at prom because it seemed like a pre-celebration to graduation which was just a few weeks away. I had a great group of friends that year, and I knew that freedom from my petty high school prison was within reach. My sister Steph, a sophomore, also attended prom that year with a junior so that made it more special; I won't post any of her prom pics here though as she might kill me.

I remember Tim #2 and I danced most of the night. He loved to dance and was a good dancer. After prom, the group of us took a limo ride up into Chicago and did a bit of site-seeing. While driving around, I recall standing out the top of the sunroof of the limo and saying "Nice Car" to the owner of an expensive car next to us at a stoplight. His response was, "Sell drugs and you can get one." Classy. Our Prom Day 2 event was taking in a Chicago White Sox game at Comiskey Park.

Sorry, I don't have any great funny or embarassing stories to regale you with. My proms were pretty uneventful in that regard - and yet meaningful to me nonethelss. The one thing that did piss me off about my proms was that both times another girl had the exact same dress I was wearing. For real. After all that shopping for the "perfect" dress and there it was - my perfect dress on someone else. What didn't they get? That was my dress! One of my younger cousins and our babysitter have informed me that nowadays certain stores make lists cataloging which dresses have been sold to members of which schools so this dress duplication can no longer happen. Crazy, huh?

Well, that's that my friends. Thanks to those of you who have already participated via Facebook or your blogs. For those who haven't, come on and join the fun!

The Love Buzz (I mean Prom) Challenge

It's that time of year - Prom Season! Because prom at good ol' DTHS always seemed to fall on Mother's Day weekend, the coming of that holiday reminds me that prom is just around the corner ... shows where my priorities are, huh? What's even more sad is I've been bugging our babysitter for literally months to find out whether or not she's got her prom dress yet :) I just want to live vicariously through her!

Since my high school days, I have always loved prom. I think mostly it was the chance to put on a fancy dress, get my hair done, ride in a limo, and feel like an adult for one evening that was so alluring to me. In fact, I remember prom buzz started at DTHS shortly after we all returned from Christmas break. Accordingly, I had to make a game plan to ensure I had a date for this all-important-of-dances because I sure as heck wasn't going if I didn't have one. And this wasn't easy for me because, let's face it, I was neither "cool" or a knock-out. In fact, I was probably more cynical and sarcastic back then than I am now and was in a lot of ways a tomboy (I had a strict anti-dress policy). Both attributes are big turn on's for guys, trust me. Thankfully God showed mercy on this pathetic soul and provided me with dates for both my Junior and Senior Proms (ironically, both named Tim).

Neither of my prom experiences disappointed either. I had a total blast with my dates and the friends I went with. I find that even now that the prom season of my life is more than a decade behind me, I still enjoy this time of year. In fact, I like going to the fancier restaurants here in San Antonio on Friday and Saturday nights during prom season just to see all the kids (literally) in their prom attire. (Yeah, get that DTHS friends, proms here don't include a meal!).

I already hope Morgan will enjoy getting dressed up for her prom like I did. My mom was never one to take lots of pictures or go over the top with the "oh'ing" and "ah-ing" of high school dances, but prom time was different with her. She seemed to enjoy taking me and my sisters dress shopping and helping us get all dolled up. I'm pretty sure I'll be amped up about 10 times that with Morgan. Poor girl ... I hope she'll be ready :)

Okay, okay, so I titled this "The Love Buzz Challenge" and you're probably dying for me to get to the point already, huh? (Sorry, I needed to take the detour down memory lane to help set the mood.) Well, what I want is for us all to dig through our old photo albums and find our prom pictures and post them ... on your blog or on Facebook, wherever. And while you're at it, post a memory and/or story or two about your prom experiences. I'm sure there are some wickedly bad (and therefore funny) prom stories out there too :) Let's not be bashful friends! Once you've done this, please post in my comment section so I can check it out ... and if you're brave, leave your blog address there so all my other "fans" can take a gander! (Health Careers, don't you let me down!)

Oh, and about the term "Love Buzz" - it was the theme of one of my Proms. Amanda, as one of our class officers, maybe you can explain how this came about?? All I know is it was a Nirvana song ... and I only know that because I googled it :)

Alright, I'm off to search for my prom pics! Can't wait to see what you all come up with. -B

Duck Tape's 2007 "Stuck at Prom" Scholarship Winners

It's a problem when your (male) date's skirt is shorter than your's.

I'm sure the guy on the right is adorned in a white sheet nowadays.
And his confederate girlfriend/wife is probably now wearing
too-tight Daisy Dukes chasing six kids around their trailer home.

Um ... yeah. There are no words.