So attempting to remember the last two weeks, cancel that, MONTH is the biggest incentive to start to blog more frequently. I started this post awhile ago but been caught up in the typical summer craziness. I know I've had fun and Maeve continues to do hysterical and dramatic things, but I'm stretching myself trying to recollect everything.
Before I start going down memory lane, this post has been attempted on three different times... first right after the 4th of July, second while I was on a train from Philadelphia to New York City between meetings in late July, and now third back at home in early August.
So I took my first US train ride and I loved it. I don't travel often enough to be an expert, but once a month or so for work and I've had some pretty bad experiences lately so it was a nice change of pace. I was able to charge my iPhone, use wifi to check work emails, no next door neighbor and the trains in general just seem so efficiently run. I get to pick our vacation next year and it might have to include some train rides, maybe across Europe.
So back to our happenings...The days surrounding 4th of July were jam packed and full of quality time with friends and family. We ended up having some friends over on the 3rd for a BBQ. I've been wanting to try to make home made sliders and do a burger bar after a guy at work had one and it sounded delicious! I'm a huge fan of cheeseburgers as well. Making burgers from scratch is surprisingly easy, it's just all about the right combination of meat, seasonings, and something to bind everything together and hold in the juices. The only major problem was that it was sooo humid and ended up raining halfway through party. We don't have air conditioning so once everyone moved inside, the house turned into a hot box. But rain subsided, we moved into the garage and started to cool off alittle. The actual 4th was very low key with dinner at Kassi & Kyle's and Maeve & I headed home before dark so no fireworks... maybe next year.
The following week was alittle chaotic because I was in NYC for 2 days and Ryan left for the West Coast for a 5 day work trip. Fortunately for us, my parents and the Harris's were all coming in town late in the week to kick off their 2 week vacation at cottages on the lake in Angola. My mom came in a couple days early to watch Maeve so work trips ended up being pretty seemless.
So the rest of July has been filled with family out at the lake, usual work, and trying to catch up with friends who were in town from Denver with their 5 month old son. Tim and Ryan have been friends since grade school and moved to Denver about 5 years ago. I love how the two of them pick right up where they left off, even if it's been a while since they've seen each other. Unfortunately for me and Maeve, she got a skin rash from a virus in the middle of their visit and we were quarantined for a couple days away from all babies. So I was home last Thursday & Friday trying to work from home since Maeve couldn't be in school. The last weekend with my family in town was shaping up to be great. I took off Friday and we headed out to the lake in the morning to catch up with everyone and play and then the Harris's minus Margot, Alicia, and Maeve & I headed to Wanakah for alittle pool time. We headed home for a nap and then back out to the lake for dinner. I was hoping for a repeat on Saturday but Maeve spiked a fever Friday night and slept all of about 4 hours so Saturday we ended up at the doctors and back home to rest. She ended up taking a 5 hour nap during day and then back to bed early. Fever was finally gone on Monday but what is with these summer illnesses?? So unfortunately we missed saying good-byes to everyone but hopefully it won't be long until we see everyone again.
Other than that we are just back in normal routine. Our girl has possibly entered her terrible two stage (even though she is not yet two) as the littlest things seem to set her off into a meltdown. And when I say meltdown, it is a literal meltdown. Her tiny body just slithers to the floor to assume her kicking or sliding or fetal position. I'm trying my best to ignore, which is working pretty well because just as I'm about to break and grab her, she usually breaks and comes to get me, almost effortlessly doing a 180 and turning back into a sweet little girl. I keep telling myself to stay strong - patience is a virtue and anything else that will give me sanity when dealing with a screaming child. Otherwise, she's pretty great. She is talking non-stop and I can decipher about 80% of it. She's a sponge who loves to stop and ask us all sorts of things, like hold up foam letters and numbers in the tub and ask which ones they are, or what all the different clothing is for her doll. She's so quick to point out airplanes, helicopters, diggers, clouds, the moon... so observant that I'd love to see the world through her eyes even for a day. She loves telling Ryan and I both to "Sit here" usually right next to her or "Come on Mom" "Come on Dad - let's go to the park". Which translates into each of us getting a stroller or shopping cart and pushing it around the house in circles in a train, following her. She has officially renamed her baby doll to Margot. Her teachers thought she had seen Despicable Me since there is a girl named Margot in it, but little did they know she has a mild obsession with her new baby cousin. She's enthralled with being in the car not in her seat. She wants to explore and press the hazards button. She told me today that she wants to drive and sit on my lap, which didn't go over well when I told her no because she just wasn't ready to comprehend laws and police. Everything in the world also belongs to her, according to her everything is "Maeve's truck" to everything we pass on road, "Maeve's phone", etc - she's all about ownership these days.
So pictures to come and sorry for delay... take what you can get because I'm obviously very behind.
