Consider the Diem Carped

We had an extremely eventful Saturday, and rather than enlighten you with a bunch of words, I'm going to enlighten you with a bunch of pictures!

We weeded the garden...

...AND planted the garden!  This year we have tomatoes (cherry
and regular), a sweet pepper, cucumber, zucchini, string beans,
edamame, mint, basil, and cilantro!

We went to the nursery to pick out a new tree to
replace the one that died in our front yard.

We went to the zoo and fed the giraffes.

Like, literally FED the giraffes!

We cleaned out the garage!

And the shed!

And we drove just over an hour to the outlet mall to make a
quick exchange!

I would consider that a pretty successful day!  You can officially consider the diem carped.

Selfie Graduation

My dear sister, Amy, graduated from the University of Maryland today! We were SO bummed that we couldn't make the actual graduation.  Curse you UMD for making my sister's graduation on a Thursday...in the middle of the week.  With vacation days dwindling and vacation coming up, we weren't able to get the time needed to be there in person, so we begged and pleaded (not really) with Amy to take selfies all day and we would do the same so it felt like we were together.

Being the good sister that she is, she obliged!

And selfie we did!  It was quite literally a Selfie Graduation day!

I knew it was going to be an amazing day because the sunrise
was so beautiful!

Selfie #1: Showered!

Selfie #2: Gradu-WHAT?!

Selfie #3: SO HAPPY to be graduating!

Selfie #4: Trying the cap on!

Selfie #5: All ready!

Selfie #6: Stuck at work...and sad because
I couldn't find an air horn to blast in spirit...
(My coworkers would've LOVED that...)

Selfie #7: On the way to graduation!

Selfie #8: Officially graduated!

Once Kate and I were home, we blew bubbles
in celebration!

I cannot believe that my sister has officially graduated!  We are so, SO PROUD of her and are so looking forward to being a part of the next chapter!

CONGRATULATIONS, AMY!!!  WE LOVE YOU!!!

UPDATE:
We received real graduation photos from the family!  Enjoy!

Mom & Amy on Graduation Day!

James and Amy!

The graduate!

At graduation!

Folks, it's official!

Amy & Travis.

Amy & James!

Congrats, again, Amy!  We are so proud!  GO TERPS!

32 = You Me!

On Saturday, March 22, 2008, I met my future husband for the very first time.  I had heard about this guy through a coworker of mine but really only in passing.  It wasn't until that March date that the stars aligned and forever sealed my fate next to him.

I remember this date so distinctly because the very next day was Easter, and because he and I had stayed up so late talking, I was exhausted and ended up leaving our family Easter party early.  Little did I know, in just over two short years we would be married!  And in just under three years we would be buying a house.  And in just under five years we would be having a baby!

That May, in 2008, I turned 25.  Shortly thereafter, in July, Brian turned 32.  In an effort to come up with a creative gift, I ended up making Brian a photo book for his birthday and included a pair of boat shoes for an actual gift.  I had known this fella for all of five months at this point and didn't want to scare him off with just a book of photos of us.  This was the start of photo books.  I didn't have an option to put a photo on the front of said book, so I drew on it with a black sharpie.  The title of the book was 32 = You!

The infamous book.

Inside this birthday book was a little story about deciding on a birthday gift for him with photos of some of our adventures together that we had experienced thus far.  That is a separate post in and of itself, but in honor of MY 32nd birthday today, I thought it would be fun to put together a little series with 32 things about me.  (I will try my hardest to do the same when Brian turns 38 this July!)

So without further ado, here are 32 things about me that you may or may not have known:

1. Growing up, I wanted to be a news reporter or an astronaut.  I actually had intended on becoming an astronaut up until I was 18.  Hindsight tells me that I should have gone into something that allows me to film and/or edit videos, but hindsight is always 20/20 and I've learned a lot about other things along the way.

2. My Mom told me that she wanted to name me 'Ariel' but my Dad nixed that real quick.  Since The Little Mermaid came out when I was just seven, I was thankful that they decided on 'Erin' instead of 'Ariel'.  I could have quickly turned into being the butt of all jokes at that age.

3. I remember my first day of Kindergarten.  I was getting picked up by the school bus and my Mom was with me at the bus stop.  She reassured me that I was going to "have a great time" and "learn so much" and "make lots of new friends".  I remember that day so vividly.  Of course she was right.  Being a Mom now, I know it was a bittersweet day for my Mom to see me get on that bus.  It brings tears to my eyes just thinking of Kate going to school.

4. In reference to #1, in Elementary school I was part of the news program that aired once a week.  I would go through the lunch menu and my co-host, Mark, and I would discuss current events.  I always had a secret crush on him!  Hopefully that footage has been destroyed and is never to be seen again...

5. Aside from using Sun-In once when I was in high school, I have never dyed my hair a different color.  I'm too wary of the upkeep and I'm not sure what color I would even choose, so I just stay au natural and I love how easy it is!

6. Speaking of hair, sometimes I love my frizzy, thick, curly, unruly, [insert hair adjective here] hair, but a lot of times I am envious of those girls that can get out of the shower, give their hair a quick brush or blow, and be on their jolly way with nearly perfect hair.  My hair and I battle every day, multiple times a day.  I lose more often than not, but sometimes those good hair days make up for the bad ones.  The strange thing about the whole hair debacle is I've gotten compliments on my hair my whole life.  Sometimes I kind of want to see my hair through these people's eyes who are commenting.

7. I took Spanish classes from 5th grade all the way through college.  I love speaking the language to people I pass that speak it as well.  The ignorance that we plead when someone in our country speaks another language disgusts me.  Spanish is a great language and I find that even when you try to speak it to others, they are very appreciative.  After all, they are trying to speak our language too.  I would love to be more fluent/use this language more often but I think that may require us moving to Spain or Mexico...not that I really would be opposed to either of those...

8. I am a perfectionist at heart.  From my handwriting to my want for extreme organization to my desire to excel at all things I put my mind too, they all have a part in me being a perfectionist.  Sometimes it is great to be a perfectionist, sometimes it is not.  That is something that I'm working on because I've found that sometimes my home chaos (read: disorganization) affects my life chaos (read: mood) and I don't like feeling overwhelmed with chaos.

9. I am as stubborn as the day is long.  NO ONE will argue with that point.  (NOTE: Kate may or may not have this very same trait.)

10. I am also EXTREMELY creative.  I am reminded of this special skill when ideas don't flow as freely in others.  It is something that I thought all people had but chose not to use, but the more I grow up the more I realize that it is truly one of my gifts.  And I am so grateful for this gift.

11. Despite owning a dog, I would consider myself a cat person.  I've had three pets in my life so far: a cat, Bayne, who lived until I was about 17; a bunny, Bun, who I became the adoptive parent for; and our current pup, Jack, who is almost five but is still very much a puppy.

12. I never used to really like the color pink.  That was, at least, until May of 2012 when we found out we were expecting a little girl.  Now, I LOVE ALL THINGS PINK, and I'm not afraid to admit that!  As a matter of fact, my favorite flower is a pink spray rose.  You cannot go wrong if you get me a bouquet of those, people.

The pink color on this flower is perfection to me!

13. In most cases, I would still totally rather sit at the Kids table.  It's not that I don't like talking to adults, it's just that the Kids table is so much more fun!

14. Throughout my whole life I have always struggled with my self-confidence.  I sometimes don't see what other people see.  It is my journey that I continue to work on and while I have come a very long way since Middle school I still struggle sometimes.  Surprisingly enough, becoming a Mom has made me more confident in the role that I'm in than any role I've ever been in before: daughter, sister, best friend, wife, etc., and I am striving to teach Kate confidence in herself and her decisions.

15. Speaking of self-confidence, I have always been very self-conscious about my skin color.  I am pale.  Very pale.  I would consider myself bordering on albino, but I know that is probably the exaggeration that I see in the mirror and not real life.  In High School I was told that in order to get a nice tan, I had to use oil instead of sunblock.  I had NO IDEA it was that easy!  I found out quickly that it wasn't.  I left the beach sunburnt to a crisp and redder than a lobster in a matter of minutes.  I swore my lungs were even burnt because it hurt so bad.  Sunblock has been, is, and will always be my friend.  Oik?  Not so much.  And while I still go through self-conscious phases, this is also something that I continue to work on and, again, have come a long way from where I was.  Which I am grateful for.

16. I love brushing my teeth in the shower!  It is so nice to brush your heart out, get as messy as you wish, and just rinse your face in the running water.  I always feel like I get the best teeth cleaning with my shower brushing.  (NOTE: this does not work well with electric toothbrushes which I also love.)

17. If I could choose one instrument to have learned and practiced my whole life, it would be the piano.  I love the piano and its sound, and the thought of being able to sit down and release your emotion through playing a song just inspires me.  I got a keyboard for my birthday a few years ago and even took lessons, but have had a hard time finding the extra time to practice, so I still only know that knuckle song on the black keys...

18. Speaking of music, I LOVE music.  It speaks to me in ways that other things aren't able to capture.  Some songs just touch my emotion and I really enjoy having that outlet.

19. If I lived on a deserted island and could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, I would choose watermelon.  I love watermelon so much that I'd probably name that island Watermelon Island and I'd probably live on Watermelon Way and the beach would be called Watermelon beach and the mountain would be called Watermelon Mountain.  Yep, sounds like paradise to me!

20. I enjoy running for exercise, stress relief, a moment to myself, etc, but I LOVE running in the summer rain.  (It has to be hot enough to enjoy water...outside.)  Nothing makes my run better than being caught in a major down pour, running through it, and coming home sopping wet!  On the flip side, I despise running when I'm cold.  DESPISE.

21. I clothing shop almost exclusively for deals and/or clearance items.  I honestly cannot remember the last time that I bought something at full price.  Even when I find something that I like that is full price, I can usually find a deal/discount/coupon to use to make it that much sweeter of a deal!  I love a good bargain, but I don't care for crowds.  I won't go Black Friday shopping for deals, but I will snag a few sweaters for yours truly if I'm Christmas shopping for someone else and the store is offering a deal that I cannot pass up!

22. I've always admired those girls that can pull of jewelry and hair perfection every day.  Even when I splurge on signature jewelry pieces and clothes, they are still very simple.  That's just who I am - a simple kind of gal.  And I'm ok with that.

23. I've lived in three states so far in my life - Maryland, Virginia, and Ohio.  And I've visited ten countries outside of the US: Germany, France, England, Spain, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Wales, Canada, and Mexico.  I am a wanderlust at heart and would love to continue travelling.  Australia and New Zealand are two places that I would love to spend an extended amount of time in.

24. Surprisingly enough, with being a wanderlust, I am 100% a homebody at heart.  Most days, there is no place that I would rather be.  I heart home.

25. I loathe garlic.  The taste, the smell, the aftertaste...all are NOT my cup of tea.  I joke with people that I'm a vampire, but there's a small part of me that actually thinks it's true based on how much I don't like garlic.  I could never be a foodie.

26. I have one tattoo.  I randomly decided to get a tattoo when I was in college.  It literally took about that long to decide.  I went to the tattoo shop with my girlfriend, asked the artist what 'girls' get, and decided on a butterfly hidden right below my right hip. I can even hide this small tattoo with my bathing suit!  The tattoo artist picked the colors (purple and yellow) and I have never looked back.

27. I never really used to concern myself with germs.  I'd use public bathrooms, I'd open public doors, I'd sit in public restaurants, but ever since having a baby, I have become such a germaphobe.  And I hate it.  I do not like being consumed with the thought that germs are lurking everywhere but I haven't been able to shake it.  My hand washing/anti-bacterial soap using has increased by a hundred fold, and I NEVER used to be an advocate of those easy anti-bacterial thingys.

28. I miss my family.  Growing up, all I wanted to do was get out of the house.  Now, all I want is to be back home again, near my family.  I guess it took me running away to figure that out, but I miss them dearly…every day.

29. I rowed on the crew team my freshman year of college and I loved it.  It was hard getting up for practice at 4 in the morning and balancing work/school/practice schedules (which is why I only did it for one year) but I love being part of a team and the stars that decorated the sky on those early morning practices were unlike any I've ever seen.  They were amazing!

30. I am a firm believer that the grass is NOT greener on the other side; it is greenest where you water it.  No matter what you are doing, working on personal goals, working on marriage goals, working on professional goals, everything needs work, always.  There is no auto-pilot in life, and that is a good thing.  Add a little TLC to all of your endeavors and continue to maintain that TLC and the grass will always trend green!


31. Some of my fondest memories of childhood are the times spent with my Grandma in North Carolina.  She was the most amazing cook and the most beautiful piano player and the sweetest lady.  I wish I had more time with her.  I wish she could meet my daughter.  I wish I could talk to her more about her life.  But she was overcome with Alzheimer’s about 14 years ago, and it has been slow and devastating demise.  Despite the sadness, the Carolina’s still hold a very special place in my heart.


32. If my older self could say anything to my younger self, it would be: be strong, be confident in yourself, stay true to who you are and and stand up for what you believe in.  There are no guarantees in life.  Cherish each and every day because we never know when it will be our last.

And one for good luck:

BONUS: I still like rainbow sprinkles on my ice cream!

And there you have it.  32 (plus one bonus) things about me!  I am thankful for each and every year that I add to my life.  While I look back and think that I would've done things differently, I am confident that everything happens for a reason and I am on the journey that I am supposed to be on.  Each year I grow older and wiser and more confident and I look forward to all that the future holds.

Thank you to everyone who supports me.  I am lucky to have you all in my life, by my side on this journey!

And Happy Birthday to me!

Stage 5 Clinger

Kate has always been a Mommy’s girl.  When she was younger, she wanted me in her line of sight at.all.times.  How dare I take a single minute to relax or use the restroom or wash a dish without her?!  That is blasphemy, Mommy!  I learned, in most instances, when I would sneak out of the room for a split second I would be left dealing with an epic meltdown.  Epic, folks.  Crying, screaming sometimes, and tears.  Real tears.

Fortunately, these meltdowns could be easily remedied by returning to Kate’s view and staying there.  No ifs, ands, or buts about it, Mama.  While this presented some inconveniences (it’s a lot harder and way more time consuming to wash dishes with one hand while holding your child in the other), it also presented a lot of learning opportunities, and if I’ve learned one thing about being a parent in these last 18 months, I’ve learned that every opportunity is a learning opportunity.  Clearly, I am an opportunistic parent.  Whatever hand we are dealt presents challenges and solutions for both the parents and the child.  The game is determining what both of those are.

When we are washing dishes, Kate gets to learn about soap, dishes, utensils, water, bubbles, how faucets work, hot and cold, etc.  When we are using the bathroom, Kate gets to learn about toilet paper, potties, the act of “potty-ing”, washing hands, making funny faces in the mirror, etc.  When Mommy needs a moment to relax, Kate gets to learn about quiet time…and taking everything out of drawers…and pressing buttons on the radio next to the bed…and flipping through ripping pages out of books…

There have been times where I’ve had to forego doing the things that I had planned on doing (dishes, relaxing, potty-ing, etc.) and focus my time on my little girlie, but that has always been ok with me.  (There will always be dishes…I’m sure I can find another time to relax (riiighht), and my bladder can hold for a little bit longer…)  It allows me to stop and smell the roses and enjoy the smaller moments with Kate for I know, one day, in the very near future, she’s going to want to do things without me by her side.  You better believe that I’m going to cherish being by her side today while I can!

These days, Kate is still a Mommy’s girl.  And this has become even more evident since she’s been talking so much.  Kate is able to say loud and clear, ‘NO! NO! NO!’ when she’s upset and doesn’t want something.  (We’re not entirely sure where she learned that because we don’t say, “No,” all that often at home.)  She’s also able to communicate with who she wants by saying, “Mama” or, “Da-DEE”.

Last night, Kate woke up in the middle of the night…three times.  She must be going through some sort of phase here because she’s been waking up quite a bit recently in the middle of the night but had been sleeping soundly through the night for a VERY LONG time.  Bless her little heart.  Growing up is hard to do.

Anyway, by the third round of getting up in the middle of the night to calm, reassure, and cuddle, it was Brian’s turn.  Brian went into Kate’s room and it was quickly followed by louder crying, a bunch of “NO! NO! NO!’s”, a bit of hand waving as if your eyes were closed and you were feeling around for something (we’ve been working on our “hitting”), and, “Mama!”

Eighteen months later and she is still a Mama’s girl.  She wanted her Mama to come into her room for the third time that night and nothing but Mama was going to do.  So, up I got, again, to calm, reassure, and cuddle.  And then the world was in order again.  Us Mama’s just have that magic touch, don’t we?!  We snuggled in the chair in her room and she fell back asleep.  I then got up, reclaimed my spot in my bed from the dog who “upgrades” every time Brian or I get up, and fell back asleep…only to wake up 15 minutes later to get ready for work.

I don’t mind our quiet time together in the middle of the night.  These are the moments, when the world around me is quiet and it’s just me and my baby girl in my arms, that are engrained in my memory.  While they are tiring, they are still very special moments that stay with me and make me smile.  Those quiet cuddles are becoming farther and fewer in between, so, again, they are moments that I cherish, but these middle of the night awakenings make me very tired the next day.

And if I’ve learned a second thing about parenting in the last eighteen months it’s that parenting is a lot more challenging when you are exhausted.  Fact.

I know that Kate’s stage 5 clinger phase is just that: a phase, something that she will one day outgrow.  For now, I will do my best with my baby by my side.  I don’t really have much of a choice these days…or at least in the middle of the night!  And, honestly, it makes me feel good that she is so comfortable with me.  She boosts my confidence daily!

Snuggled and Safe

This year we celebrated Mother's Day with a little brunch at Brian's Mom's house, honoring all those special Momma's out there!

I love this moment with Kate.  Snuggled and safe with Mama.

Brian and Kate also embarked on a super cute framed piece of art that means more to me than any store bought item:

My love!

Over the last 19 months of being a Mom, I have learned more about myself and gained more confidence than I have in the last 19 years of my life.  Being a Mom has brought out the inner spirit in me and has made me see life in a completely new way.  It has been amazing, inspiring, thought provoking, frightening.  You name the emotion and I've experienced it on this Motherhood ride.  Above all, being a Mom has been so absolutely rewarding.  My words would not do my feelings justice if I tried to explain how truly blessed I feel to be a Mom, Kate's Mom.  But that is just it.  I feel blessed.  Completely and totally blessed.

I know I still have a lot to learn on my journey and I am looking forward to it.  As much as I want my baby to stay my baby, I am looking forward to our next adventures as a family.  Potty training, talking, real tantrums, opinions - they are all on the horizon.  I know with each new parenting phase come new parenting challenges, but I am completely up for them!  I say BRING IT ON!  And I am excited to see where our journey leads us!

Being a Mom has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.  I wouldn't trade this title for anything in the world!

Kate Goes to the Circus

The circus is in town for a week or two and on a whim, literally this morning, we decided to take Kate.  We weren't entirely sure how she would do, but we figured it'd be worth a shot.  If nothing else, at least she would get to see some elephants.

(Circus Side Note: I am totally one of those people that feels bad for the animals in the circus.  I even feel bad for the animals in the zoo.  Living in captivity as a slave to entertainment is not how animals should live. They should be wild and free, in their natural habitats. This is going to sound creepy, but sometimes when I look into those animal's eyes I can see that they are sad.  And it breaks my heart.  If there was a way for me to support animal freedom without taking all live animal activities out of our lives I would do it. Unfortunately, if I removed zoo trips and circus visits and other related animal activities from our animal loving daughter's life, I think I would be shunned as a parent from both her and the world.  But I digress.)

The day started off a bit rainy, but it the rain held off long enough for us to enter the Schottenstein Center. The circus was nearly TWO hours long, which I didn't remember at all!  The last time I was at the circus was in March of 2008 when I went with my brothers, sister, and cousins in Washington, DC:

We took pictures like this...

...and this... Is it just me or does the clown look more normal
than I do??

Again, I didn't remember that circus lasting for two hours.  I thought it was more like one.  Either way, Kate did such a fantastic job sitting with us!  For the first half, she sat and watched and was entertained.  When we had an intermission and got to walk around for a little bit, it took a little convincing to get back in our seats.  The elephant performance was the ticket.  Just enough to capture that attention again!  And then she fell asleep in my lap!

This sleeping feat amazed me.  It was SO LOUD at the circus!  I didn't remember it being that loud either!

All in all, we were glad that we took her.  I don't know when we'll go again so it was nice to have something new and fun to experience together as a family.

The Circus!

I tried to take pictures of everything she loved!

She loved the ponies.

She loved the basketball.

She loved the tigers!

(I also do not remember THIS MANY big cats at the circus.
I think there were 15!  Wouldn't even just 5 do??)

She loved the dogs!

And she LOVED the elephants!

Like, love LOVED!  Did I mention she was animal-loving?

Asleep in my arms.

Be Still My Heart

In honor of Mother's Day this Sunday, Kate made a little vase in her class and gave it to me today.  My heart skipped a beat when I saw it.  It was perfection and it held four perfect pink spray roses.  (I felt really special when the teachers told me they put the pink spray roses in my vase and the rest of the parents received daisies!  I would've loved daisies too, but pink spray roses are totally my cup of tea!)  I did my best not to cry at her school in front of her teachers.  I may or may not have left slightly misty-eyed!

Be still my heart.  It is beautiful.

That hand print brings tears to my eyes.

And the little poem just makes me cry.  Happy tears...

Perfection.

The complete package is simply lovely.

Kate shows me the "fow-fers".

This little vase means more to me than anything in my house.  I am so lucky and grateful to have such an incredible little girl in my life.  I'm so lucky to be her Mama.

I love you, Kate.

Tips & Tricks: Removing Permanent Marker

We come bearing a trick of how to remove permanent marker from nonporous surfaces!  Believe it or not, this is a trick that Brian has had up his sleeve for years and only just recently introduced to me!

What you'll need is the nonporous item that has permanent marker on it, a dry erase marker and a cloth to wipe away the dry erase marker.  It literally is that simple!

Dry erase marker...

...item with permanent marker.

First, take the item with the permanent marker and scribble over the permanent marker with the dry erase marker:

Permanent marker has been scribbled over.

Then, take your cloth and wipe away the dry erase marker.  Like magic, your permanent marker will disappear!

What?!  Where?!  How?!

Folks, we weren't even trying to get Kate's name of the bottom of this tin.  Brian told me about this technique that he had learned when he and some coworkers accidently wrote on a dry erase board with permanent marker and I was so intrigued that I had to try it!  It worked like a charm!

We used this same technique again on a plastic cup and there is no more permanent marker!

I make a point to use the word nonporous because I have not tried this on porous surfaces, such as wood or fabric, and am pretty certain that it will not work the same.  If you find otherwise, please enlighten me!

Now, go work some magic!