Tuesday, June 28, 2011

In Real Life

Like many of us, I spend a lot of my time in the "digital world". It comes from my Nook, my smartphone, my laptop at home, my computer at work and of course the TV.

As a web developer I spend a large majority of my time staring at a computer screen. I'm programming applications for people to use and stare at on their screens. I don't physically work on "real world" things. This makes it easy for me to loose my grounding from time to time.

I communicate with a lot of people via social networking. There's e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, blogging, I'm part of an online community where I'm talking to other mom's daily and texting via my phone. Actual real life communication is pretty much non existent unless I'm talking to coworkers, the daycare provider, my husband or my son. Many of us have this life and its not going anywhere.

I was outside playing with Connor this evening and we spent time in the "real world" playing with chalk, discovering lighting bugs, climbing on the deck and collecting sticks from the yard. Even though it was as humid as a bathroom after a long hot shower the breeze was blowing and we were surrounding ourselves in mother nature. Mid summer will be here soon and our outside time will have to be limited but its evenings like these that make letting go of the laptop, smartphone and TV well worth it.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Today is Friday?

Today is my Friday! Be jealous!!

For the next 3 weeks I will be pulling a LESS THAN 40 hour work week! Its like lots of mini vacations happening all at once!

Tomorrow Kevin and I are off to a wedding. Alice is coming to spend time with Connor while we're out. I'm looking forward to having a great time. On Friday, Kevin and I are dropping Connor off at daycare and then enjoying a much needed date day! We're hoping to fit in two movies at the movie theater or a movie and then biking. It'll be a nice kickoff to our 4th of July weekend. However, we don't have any 4th of July plans. Hmmm....

The following week I'm off Monday for the 4th and then a half day on the 8th because my mom and step dad are flying into town for a visit! I'll have to go back to work for the 11th and 12th but I'll be off the rest of the week to hang out and get in trouble with my mom!

This time off is a big deal because other than when my mom flew into help me during maternity leave I haven't been able to take time off when she or Bill visit. I just have to get the house prepped for visitors! YIKES!

So again... this is my Friday and the beginning of a bunch of mini vacations! Yay!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Father's Day

I haven't posted about Father's day just yet and thought maybe I should!

Friday evening after Connor was settled into his crib and fast asleep Kevin and I popped in the movie Parenthood. We've watched the show Parenthood on NBC and LOVE it so we figured we would watch the movie that started the whole thing. Well... That was was a very 80's movie! I love watching classic 80's movies. It took us a little while to figure which characters were which but overall it was a cute movie.

Saturday we woke up and ran right over to my dad's house to fix us up a mean old breakfast. I made sausage, french toast, eggs and cut up cantaloupe. After breakfast we discovered Connor has a knack for playing the harmonica! Once he figured out how to play it he couldn't put it down!



In the afternoon it was finally hot enough for us to set up Connor's swimming pool. He LOVED it! I see us spending many summer evenings out there cooling him off.



Sunday Kevin played in a Father's day softball tournament. Connor did surprisingly well while we were there. Thankfully there was a playground and swings to entertain him for the most part. He also had my dad, step mom and Kevin's mom to play with him as well. BUT like clockwork, the nap time meltdown made us head home. Kevin was able to stop by and see his dad after the tournament but Connor and I were home for the evening by that time.

Last year for Father's day we went to Floppy Hat Night to see an O's game. This year I scored two tickets to the Baltimore Museum of Industrial History. I'm excited to get this on the calendar and go! I figured Kevin has always been into history, and given his line of work, it would be perfect.

It was a very low key Father's day this year. Last year we spent Father's day at Downs Park and having Connor's dedication. It was HOT, there was lots of friends and family and LOTS of good food to eat. I had accidentally booked the party on Father's Day and felt bad that Kevin would spend his first Father's day dealing with all the craziness of the party. BUT... When you stop and think about it, what better way to spend your first Father's day than with family, friends and dedicating yourself to you child (and good food at that)!

Connor Last Year


Connor This Year

Monday, June 20, 2011

Cat Hair

While vacuuming the cat hair from our couch this weekend and giving the couch a much needed deep clean, I had quite the realization.

No matter what angle I positioned the vacuum hose on the cushions the stubborn cat hair would not let go (and we have a Dyson!!)! It takes a lot of elbow grease and sweat to thoroughly clean the couch when it comes to cat hair, especially with microfiber. HOWEVER, if I were to just sit on the cushions, the cat hair would easily transfer from the couch to my newly pressed shirt or slacks.

I started thinking about this concept in the larger sense. Things we wouldn't want to happen to us happen so easily and things we want so badly take a lot of hard work and dedication.

Our clothing attracts the cat hair like a magnet as do our thoughts. When we focus on all the negative while we're trying to reach what we want the only thing we are going to attract to ourselves is the negative. To reach our goals and attract what we want we have to stay positive and work hard.

There is no quick fix to getting rid of cat hair and there is no quick fix to achieving your dreams. Keep working hard.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Mmmm Cookies....


Mmmmm.... I guess I can enjoy these...

Perfect Connor and Mommy Date Night

Connor and I have spent a lot of time hanging out just the two of us while Kevin is in class these days. I felt like we were starting to get into a rut as of this week. Same old same old. Come home. Play or read. Eat dinner. Some sort of craft, play outside or watch some TV. Boooooring.....

This evening we went to Walmart after picking him up from daycare because we needed cat food and as we're walking to the register down the frozen food aisle I asked Connor what he wanted for dinner. He pointed at the Digiorno behind the cold glass. I caved. Apparently Digiorno's come with cookie dough now too. What a treat! Something to mix up the mundane.

As we pull into the driveway it starts to pour down rain. I pull Connor out of the car and let him run around the driveway and splash in the puddles. He laughed, squealed and loved getting his toes in the gross water that collets on the sidewalk at the end of our driveway. I forgot how much fun that is!! It called out to my inner child that has fast dissapeared over the last year.

After dinner I set us up in the living room for chocolate chip cookies and milk. Mmmm. Connor took one bite of the cookie and threw it. Hmm... Him and chocolate just aren't friends. He eventually warmed up to them and started eating them. I learned my lesson about chocolate in the living room. I was chasing him down to avoid getting chocolate smears on the couch. Next time we'll enjoy our treat at the table.

This evening left me feeling refreshed and happy with our little date night but now that he's sleeping... a messy kitchen is calling my name.