Belated Birthday

Brian celebrated his 38th birthday yesterday...in BRAZIL...AT THE WORLD CUP FINAL!  Yes, you read that correctly.  Now, for a sports enthusiast like my husband, if that's not one of the greatest ways to kick of your 38th birth year I don't know what is!  He has been over the moon with the people he has met, the places he has been, and the history he has witnessed whilst on this excursion, in addition to being in a very different part of the world and enjoying a new experience.  This trip will no doubt be long talked about and never forgotten!

I had mentioned to Brian months ago that I wanted to stick with the same series for his birthday as I did for mine for our blog.  That is, enlighten all of our readers with 38 (in Brian's case) things about him that you may or may not know!  I knew this looming trip would take priority and I also knew that once he had left the country it was going to be nearly impossible to get 38 things from him in his words, so I reminded him about this little post...many times before he officially departed.

But he left last Tuesday and I stood empty handed when it came to said list...

...SO, I've decided to take matters into my own hands.  I've been married to this guy for almost four years now.  I'm sure I can come up with 38 things that he may or may not want you knowing about him!  (Sorry, Bri.  This is why I asked you to come up with that list!)

So, without further ado, here we go!  We'll start with the five that Brian actually did email me in his words:

1. Loves to travel.  Brian lived in Scotland for about a year and a half just before we met and has always referred to it as such an amazing experience.  He was able to travel all around Europe.  In addition to living abroad, he also coached on several People to People soccer trips overseas including one (maybe two?) to Brazil and one (maybe two?) to Australia.  You see, people?  This is why I need Brian for this list.  The details.  For the details...  So, yes, Brian loves to travel!

2. Normally always hot blooded.  I'm assuming he is referring to his core temperature here and not his temperment!  If that is the case, yes, I can vouch for this.  He either warms me up in the winter or has to sleep on the far opposite side of the bed in summer because I sleep with covers year round.  I am not hot blooded or even warm blooded.  I am always cold, still.

3. He would love to star in a movie with Will Ferrell.  WHAT?!  I have never even heard this in my life, so I can't even really comment!  I suppose you learn something new every day!

4. Biting his nails is his one of his really bad habits. Yes, this is a terrible habit of Brian's that he just can't quit.

5. His favorite country is Australia.  Again, I knew he really enjoyed Australia when he visited but I didn't know it was his favorite country.  It's kind of fun learning these things about your own husband!

OK, so, folks, that is literally the list that Brian sent to me...so the next 33 are things that I've come up with after all the time we've spent together:

6. Brian is so dramatic sometimes.  See #3.  Perhaps he would do well acting...

7. In line with #6, there are two speeds on Brian's windshield wipers: 1. OFF, and 2. FULL SPEED AHEAD!  The two other speeds in between are totally disregarded no matter how soft or hard it is or isn't raining.  Brian is also one of those people that leaves his windshield wipers on well beyond the last rain drop.  He leaves them on so long that they start to squeak against the dry windshield.  Ugh, men.

8. Brian gets his hair cut no less than once every two weeks from the same barber shop.  He loves that place and is so funny with his hair.  I do still call him 'Salt & Pepper' or my 'Silver Fox' sometimes.

9. Brian is a serial networker.  This is not a joke.  If you are friends with Brian, you are in it for the long haul, buddy.  Brian meets people on planes, trains, and automobiles, remembers how he met them, and keeps in touch.  It's quite impressive actually.  This is one way that he always has a contact somewhere.

10. Brian's middle name is Andrew.

11. Brian is a SUPER-planner.  He likes to research, research, research the BEST possible hotels to wherever we are going, he likes to know the BEST possible restaurants and what the BEST dishes are there, and he likes to plan the BEST parties for his guests.  Between his planning and my details, we've got trips and parties covered!

12. Brian just knows how to "work the system".  Whether it's schmoozing with the host/hostess to get a good restaurant seat or speaking to customer service about a minor issue, he always comes out ahead.  It surprises me every single time and I have yet to figure out how he does it.

13. Brian is typically a pretty optimistic person.  Apparently, in high school people used to ask him how he could stay so positive.  Day in and day out, Brian would attend school with a smile on his face.   And then he met me...with my realistic approaches and sometimes the glass is half empty idea...Just kidding...I think?

14.  Speaking of school, Brian attended Catholic school until he graduated.  From there, he went to Ohio University.  Go Bobcats!

15. For Brian's High School Senior prank, he and a group of his buddies scaled the school, and put a bunch of huge holiday inflatables in their school courtyard, complete with a loose guinea pig...or was it a hamster?  Brian?  I guess it was a pretty huge hit with the teachers.  Not so much with the principal...

16. Some of the stories that he has told me from Ohio University are so not blog appropriate it's not even funny.  I joke sometimes that it's a good thing that we met at the ages we were because I HIGHLY  DOUBT we would have been friends in college...Not that we ever would've been in college together really since we are six years apart...but you get what I'm saying.

17. Although Brian attended Ohio University, his team will forever be Ohio State.  I have never understood this.  Go Bucks!

18. And speaking of teams, Brian would love a man cave where he could display all of his sports related paraphernalia because his wife has completely X'ed displaying his Ohio State Stadium framed football print in the living room...and office...and spare room...several times.  And trust me, people, when I say there IS A LOT of other paraphernalia!  Oh, and if we're on the subject of things we would love...there's that office space, finishing the basement, adding a bathroom, busting out the whole back of the house for the renovation, the landscaping...Oh, dear me!  Am I still going?!

19. Brian likes to be in the know ALWAYS!  Brian is always plugged in on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, you name it, he is on it.  And he has a hard time unplugging.  That's another one of those bad habits.

20. Kate is his world.  He loves her beyond explanation even though he is still adjusting to parenthood!

21. Speaking of parenthood, Brian makes the most disgusted face when he changes Kate's dirty diapers.  It is so uncalled for.  See #6.

22. Brian is an extreme social being.  See #19.  I, for one, am so glad he has an office job now instead of working from home.  Now he has people to talk to all day instead of wanting to talk to me and do things 'outside of the house' when I get home.

23.  Brian is not a handy-man.  He attempts to do minor things, but I would argue that I wear the tool belt around here more than he does.  Brian?  Rebuttal?  Oh, you didn't write this list?  Lesson learned then.

24. Speaking of not being handy, Brian is afraid of climbing up ladders.  As a matter of fact, I think it's heights in general that he doesn't like.  Needless to say, he does not clean our gutters, change light bulbs at the top of our steps, or walk along cliff ledges.  Quite frankly, he always makes ME walk farther away from the ledges too.  I say there's no sense in taking my fun away just because you don't like something...

25. Now, I don't know this for sure, but I would say that 9 times out of 10 Brian would rather fly somewhere than drive.  It's just what he likes to do.

26. No matter what day of the year it is or what sports season we are in, Brian can find a game to watch and a team to support, barring none.  I swear he would make our children have the initials E.S.P.N. somehow if it were possible.  Thankfully it is not.

27. Brian attended the Superbowl in 2012 and just attended the FIFA World Cup Final in 2014.  These are two items that he is able to check off of his bucket list.

28. Apparently Brian has a bucket list.  I have not seen said bucket list nor do I know what other things are on this list.  But now I'm curious too!

29. Brian is VERY opportunistic.  Sometimes to a fault.  (He literally was tossing around the idea of selling our house a few months ago leaving us with no place to live while under the impression that he could find us a new and better place in a few months.)  Um, yeah, I had to X that as quick as I X'ed the OSU print in our living room...

30. Brian loves buffalo wings!  Loves them!  Like, I'm never surprised when Brian orders wings from the menu...and it's pretty often!

31. Brian has never had any cavities.  I CURSE YOU AND YOUR STRONG, HEALTHY TEETH!  Oh, and I hope Kate has your teeth and not mine because I can't remember going to the dentist and not having a cavity.

32. While Brian is turning 38, he is so not nearly 40.  He has such a young spirit (read: he is very immature).  Just kidding!  :)  But seriously, I would not say that he is nearly 40.  I would say he acts younger than that, in a good, fresh way.

33. Brian thinks he has a creative vision but he does not.  For example, he wanted to place our kitchen island 180 degrees from what it is now which would leave us 10" to scoot by on one side and incapable of opening the fridge on the other...Yes, I'll take that tool belt now.  Please and thank you.

34. Brian is a sure advocate of the iPhone and tries to convince me to cross over all the time.

35. Brian is inspired by strong people.  People that range from his very own Grandpa to Famous Athletes to Bill Gates.  And he'll hang on every word they say.

36. When I first met Brian, he introduced his signature dance move to me as The Seaweed.  You stand in one spot and just sway - your body, your arms...This is true.  I would imagine that his moves also consist of The Sprinkler, The Cabbage Patch, The Lawn Mower, and The Chicken Wing, but I was too scarred from that first introduction that we've never been out dancing together.  ;)

37. Brian wants the best and only the best for the people he loves, especially Kate and me, and it is so sweet.  Knowing that he will do everything he can to give us/get us the best is so endearing.  Sometimes we teach him that it is the thought that matters most to us but we still appreciate his efforts.

38. No one will argue with this one, per Brian's Grandpa, Great People Create Great Stories.  There is never a time where you won't hear a story from Brian and wonder how in the world he got himself into such a cool/extraordinary/bizarre situation!  He is a great person and seeks the great in all things in life.

And one for good luck:

BONUS: I would argue that Brian's favorite pizza is a pepperoni pizza!

And there you have it!  38 (plus one bonus) things about Brian that you may or may not have known!

From the bottom of my heart, Bri, I hope you had a fantastic birthday!  We can't wait until you are back home, to have you home and to celebrate, dance moves and all!

Happy Birthday, Brian!  We love you!

Team Buttercream

Today we participated in the Dash for Donation race here in Columbus, OH.  Kate and I walked as part of Cheryl's Cookies with Team Buttercream.  Since Mary, Brian's Mom, is the on-air host for QVC and official Fun Baker for Cheryl's, it was a no-brainer to choose what team to be a part of!  When we found out that the team shirts were hot pink, we immediately stocked up on some other hot colored items!  When I was talking to one of Kate's teachers about the race, she told me that she makes bows!  The very next day we had four bows waiting for us in complimentary colors!  She is amazing!  Thank you, Meghan!!!

Yes, amazing!

 
And Kate and I made the bead bracelets!  It was a good three mile walk, supporting a great cause, but we were mostly excited about the accessories!

Kate has her bow, a pink bracelet (her choosing)
and her shades.  Girlfriend is ALL SET!

Quinn gets a bow and a purple bracelet!

Leah grabs a bow and loads up on bracelets!

[Part of] Team Buttercream! 

[Part of] The walkers of Team Buttercream!

Kate wonders when we're gonna get this
show on the road.  (I did too!)

By the end of the walk, Kate had pulled her bow AND her pony tail out and took her shades off and her bracelet, but she was so good for the nearly hour that she was in her stroller!

After lunch with Mimi and Papaw, we came home and participated in a little backyard pool play.  This has been something that we have really enjoyed doing this summer!  Kate absolutely loves playing outside with the hose!

What could be more fun than having control of the hose?!

Could she be any cuter?  I die!

Seriously, Jack?  You have to put your paws in BOTH pools
to take a drink of water??

Still filling!

I decided to move the pools out of the sun
and into the shade for better sun
protection...for both of us.  And Kate
filled Jack's water bowl up 732 times and
forced him to drink

Then we climbed from one pool into the other!

In a matter of minutes, Jack had already romped through the
pools and put a hole (or two) in our new one...

Deciding what we should do now that our
pool has a hole in it...

Jack decides a pool with a hole is still a pool,
at least for a little while!

We hope you are enjoying summer as much as we are!  Happy Summer!

The Brushing of Teeth

When it comes to bath time, we have a routine.  (I know.  Surprise, surprise.)  We bathe, we get dried off, we use the potty one last time if we want to, we get our diaper on and our pajamas, we clean our ears, and then we brush our teeth battle, wriggle, squirm, scream bloody murder.

I don't know what I am doing wrong when it comes to brushing Kate's teeth but I am doing something wrong because Kate LOATHES having her teeth brushed.  And when I say loathes, what I mean is I've been able to pretty much convince her to do everything she hasn't wanted to do so far...EXCEPT THIS!  And every single night it is the same song and dance.  She does NOT want her teeth clean.

And this drives me crazy.

Growing up, I had one cavity after another.  It's amazing that I still have teeth right now.  Every night, I brush my teeth with an electric toothbrush, floss, and use mouthwash.  Religiously.  Brian, on the other hand, hasn't had a single cavity in his entire life.  There are some nights that I see him rinse with mouthwash and that is it. #jealous.  I'm not sure what I did wrong in a past life but it had something to do with teeth because I'm paying for it in this life.

I have tried every technique that I can think of with Kate and brushing her teeth.  I have tried to brush them, I've had Brian try to brush them, I've let her try to brush them, I've brushed my teeth with her, I've let her brush my teeth with my toothbrush, I've had the three of us brush our teeth together, I've sang songs, I've tried to make her laugh so she opens wide and I can get a quick swipe, I've tried to think of any traumatizing teeth moments Kate may have had in her life so that we could reenact them and maybe reverse the teeth brushing struggle...I've.tried.everything.  And she still does not want her teeth brushed.

Somehow she manages to close her mouth and grip her lips so that even if I can break the lip lock, which is rare, when I get into her mouth there's just a wall of teeth that I run into.  I can't even get to the molars in the back which are the ones that I need to get to.  It is ridiculous but impressive at the same time!

And I'm honestly still not sure what to do.  I try every single night to brush Kate's teeth.  And every single night she does not want her teeth brushed.

Tonight, Jack was in the bathroom with us.  Apparently it's way more fun to try to brush the dog's teeth than it is to brush your own teeth...

Kate is more than welcome to try to brush
Jack's teeth.  One battle a night is enough
for me.

Yum!  Smells like kid's toothpaste!

If only I had another toothbrush right now...

Perhaps that is the solution.

I hope and pray that she has Brian's strong teeth so that these battles would be fruitless anyway, but there's a part of me that is very scared that she has my teeth, and if that is the case then she needs to get to brushing, like, yesterday.

Tips & Tricks: Removing Dry Erase Marker

I've found the best way to remove dry erase marker is to NOT GIVE IT TO YOUR 20 MONTH OLD TO BEGIN WITH!

Mistake #1.

You see, freedom of expression...

...can get messy...

...very messy!

Fortunately, dry erase markers are just that - erasable...dryly.  They wipe clean from a dry cloth from all non-porous surfaces, or so we've found so far.  They can actually make your life easy while also offering a very valuable learning/teaching lesson for your little arteest and you!

So I say, scribble off the page!  But only with a dry erase marker...and not on your clothes...or my clothes...or the couch!

Oh, and don't tell your Daddy either!

May The Fourth Be With You

We spent our fourth of July weekend here in Ohio!  We attended the local parade that we went to last year and, once again, kept it pretty low key!  Kate enjoyed the parade a lot more this year!  I tried to take photos of everything that she loved!  (All of which you will find below!)

We debated keeping Kate up extra late to see the fireworks this year. When we returned from the parade though we were doing a bit of yard work when some neighbors started setting some fireworks off.  Kate ran right over to me when she heard the BOOM from those fireworks, with eyes SO WIDE, said, "up please", buried her head in the nook of my neck, clung on tighter than I've ever felt her hang on, and begged me to go inside.

For the rest of the afternoon/evening and even into the next day she did not want to even go outside.

Needless to say, we decided to hold off on the fireworks again this year!  Brian and I did sneak out back for the second year in a row and caught a few of the real high fireworks while we watched Kate curl up in a ball on the monitor and put her blanket over her head.  Perhaps we'll hold off on fireworks next year too...

Happy 4th!

Ready for the parade!

Walking to our spot!

Claiming said spot!

Getting into the spirit!

Two hands, two flags!  Sounds right to me!

I heart this photo!

Sitting with Daddy while waiting for the parade to start.

Kate *loved* the bomb pop!

She also loved this outer space float!

And the horses!

And the big truck!

And this guy!

And these little cars!

And the little golden bear!

And the big golden bear!

And the gummy frogs we snacked on as a treat when we got home!

#hashtag

In addition to our tips and tricks, we're going to start another new series called #hashtag.  This will hold a collection of random photos that need to be posted but don't need an entire post to themselves.  I suppose we'll keep this going until I join Instagram...

#runningbuddy

#firsticecreamcone  #hooked  #youdonthavetoaskmetwice

#howmuchisthatdoggieinthewindow  #bones  #rufflife

#daddysvacuuming
#imsittinginmyshoppingcartwithmybinkandmyblanket
#imsafe

#sobig  #wheredidmybabygo

Stroll With It

Kate lurves her some stroller time right now!  She has yet to push her actual baby around in her stroller but she loves to push around 3 or 4 matchbox cars, her two baby bottles, and Brian's old Blackberry phone that is now hers!  She pushes that stroller around and around and around!  And giggles all the way!  This is not an uncommon sight in our house these days!

FIFA Fever

Early tonight when Brian and I both got home from work, I told him that I would like to weed the garden. He quickly turned around and chanted, 'I would like to weed the garden...I believe that we will win!'

I looked at him with a blank stare.  And then he explained to me that when I said, "I would like to weed the garden," it sounded like I was chanting the USA Soccer World Cup Motto.  That is, "I believe that we will win."

This boy has sports on the brain 24/7, I kid you not!  I chanted the real motto along with him, under pure obligation of course, and then went out to do what I had intended on doing.

I believe that...

...I will weed the garden.

How's that for a chant!?

Day Trip to Disney

During our family vacation to Florida, we decided to spend one day at Walt Disney World.  Miss Kate had never been to Disney which was a good enough reason for us to make the visit, but we were also no more than two hours away from any of our more long term spots (St. Pete Beach and Anna Maria Island) either!  It was an easy decision!

On the drive there, Kate sat with her blanket
over her head!

We made it!

Dreams really do come true here!

We debated on spending more than one day but ended up sticking with the one because we wanted some good vacation time too.  We didn't want to be running all around and then leave Florida not feeling like we had a vacation.  In hindsight, we wished we'd booked a longer visit at Disney, but, mark my words, this will not be our only visit!  I love Walt Disney World!  I can remember going several times growing up!  And Brian and I went to Disney for our one year anniversary!  With as much fun as we had this visit, we are already trying to figure out plans for another!

And that brings me to the very point of this post: Kate's first trip to Disney!  She ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!  Seriously, people.  If we had known how much Kate would love this day, we would have booked a lot more than one day.  It was so much fun seeing how much fun she had!  It was hot, really hot, and we only rode on four rides: It's a Small World, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Ariel's Undersea Adventure, and the Haunted Mansion; but she had a blast just being there.

This place is magic, I tell ya!

When we first arrived, Kate insisted on getting an apple.  Of all the options that Walt Disney World has to offer, if Kate wants an apple, she's going to get an apple.  I imagine in the not so distant future, apples will be a thing of the past and cotton candy, ice cream, and popcorn will have replaced them!

On the bus from the hotel headed to the Magic Kingdom!

Zee cah-stle!

Hendu 3.0 at Disney!

It's still magical to me!

Kate's apple!

We didn't plan one thing in advance for this visit other than booking the hotel and getting tickets.  We decided we would just go with the flow and see how we all felt.  Our lack of planning meant that, in hindsight, we weren't able to use our time as wisely as we could have with fast passes and whatnot, but, again, the goal was not to jam pack the day.  The goal was to experience Disney.  And that, my friends, we did accomplish!

After we got our apple, we hopped into line at It's a Small World and rode that.  Kate was entranced with all the visual stimulus and it was adorable to see her take it all in.  We then headed over to ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant.  People, this ride has a play area that you can play in while you are waiting in line.  This idea is genius.  You get a little restaurant pager and you go play in the play area.  When it's your turn to ride, your pager goes off, you get back into line, you wait another 5 or so minutes and you are on the ride.  It was awesome for Kate and the other kiddos to not have to stand in line!

Waiting in line for the boats at It's a Small World!

Kate's first Disney ride!

Nearly our turn to ride Dumbo!

One of her favs!

Kate LOVED Dumbo!  Her little giggle on the entire ride just melted my heart!  She was beaming from ear to ear while we rode!

After Dumbo, Kate fell asleep in her stroller.  We decided to head back to the hotel to let her get a little nap in us all get a little nap in, but she promptly woke up the moment we arrived back at the hotel, so we basically showered and regrouped for a moment and headed back to the park.  Again, we went without an agenda.  If we were able to stay late and see the fireworks, we were going to, but if Kate was too tired we were going to head back to the hotel.

Right as we arrived we got to enjoy the Dance Party parade and danced with Goofy, Mickey, and several other Disney characters in the streets!  Then we headed to Ariel's Undersea Adventure ride because there was hardly any wait in the queue and rode that!  After that, we headed to the Haunted Mansion which was WAY scarier than I remember.  I actually kind of felt bad that we had Kate on there with us, but it didn't seem to phase her.  We might reconsider this ride come future visits unless Kate says she would like to ride it.

Kate meet Goofy.  Goofy meet Kate.

Dancing in the streets with Mickey and friends!

After the Haunted Mansion, we decided the day had been long enough.  We were all hot and tired so decided to make the trek back to the hotel.  The trek was not without a stop to the giftshop, however!  We let Kate pick out whatever she wanted, within reason, and she picked out a stuffed Mickey!  She is so adorable!  We headed back to the hotel and called it a night.

You just can't get enough of that view!

Love this!

On our way to Anna Maria the next day with our newest plush
addition: Mickey!

Our first trip to Disney was a complete success.  We all had so much fun and Kate enjoyed it so much more than we thought she would.  Mark my worlds Walt Disney World, we will definitely be headed back...for a longer stay...with a planned itinerary so we can make the most of our fast passes!  And soon, very soon!

We heart Disney!