Wardrobe Malfunction

So I've been having this problem lately and I was wondering if any of ye wise old internets could help a pregnant lady out. What I'm about to reveal is a bit personal and embarrassing, but weighing the options, I'd rather find a solution to my problem than spend the next three months battling my issue.

Almost every weekday I work out at the Y. My wardrobe consists of a mixture of maternity clothes and regular clothes that can accommodate my belly. And every single pair of workout pants or shorts I own give me the world's worst camel toe.

Now I've heard that some might find this kind of look attractive. I can see the appeal on someone like Jessica Simpson in a white bikini. But on a 27 week, sweaty pregnant lady who was a few pounds above ideal before she began gestating? Well, only the major sickos out there would get their jollies off of my unfortunate pants situation.

As it stands now, I spend about a third of my workout tugging at the crotch of my pants. None of which are skin tight, I might add. I think it's just a tragic combo of my baby belly and my hips forcing my pants to sit just so on my body for maxim toe-age. The only maternity pants that don't give me this trouble are the ones that have the waist up in the armpits and jeans, neither of which are suitable for exercising. There is no hope for any of my non-maternity pants. They might just end up staying in the drawer for the next 3 to 4 months.

So what do I do? Should I just buy a bunch of drop crotch pants and MC Hammer pants and call it a day? Skip the workouts all together? Wear a dress? Or should I just suck it up and force the universe to suffer the sight of my camel toe for another 92 days, give or take? Be honest. I can take it!

Daughter

This is not my story, but I feel compelled to write about it. This morning my neighbors got on a plane headed for Guatemala. At the other end of their journey waits their daughter, a little girl only a few months younger than Lucy. For almost as long as we've known them they have been in the process of adopting her. They travel to her often, and yet she never makes the return trip with them. Something about someone waiting for a bribe or some other corrupt bullshit. Knowing even a fraction of their story makes me so indescribably angry that I can't imagine how they live through it without attempting murder on a weekly basis. The lives of this child and her parents are completely at the mercy of some douche looking to make a few bucks on the side. A person of such baseness and depravity deserves the worst the world has to offer, in my opinion.

This time they have vowed to bring her home. Her mother is staying there as long as it takes to get all of this mess straightened out. Whatever your affiliation is or isn't, keep them in your thoughts. We need some more little girls on the block!

For Mama

Lucy picked me some flowers.

For more of Monday's best shots visit Tracy at Mother May I.

Theme Thursday: Week 12

Short and sweet this Saturday. We have a bunch of family in, so time of of the essence!

Week 12 Theme: Rising

I've been rising all week at 6am, so I'm probably going to feature some early morning shots, but I can't wait to see how you all interpret this theme!

The Cosmic Salad Bowl of Love

SOB and I have been together practically forever. I've known him since middle school, we started dating in high school and we moved in together after my freshman year in college. While none of our parents were super-duper happy about our living arrangements, money talks. SOB had to get an apartment when he came to Philly for school, so it was likely we would end up unofficially co-habituating while my parents paid for an empty dorm room. Thus, apartment 1004 at The Iroquois became our first little love nest.

After a year in a one bedroom on the 10th floor we moved a few blocks away to a two bedroom in a basement. A few weeks after we moved in hurricane Floyd hit and our little basement paradise flooded. We had to toss a few hand-me-down rugs and an old Ikea chair, but it could have been worse. We were in love, after all.

This was all taking place during SOB's first two years of medical school, which meant he was kee-razy busy studying. He received a small loan stipend for living expenses, but it barely covered our rent. In order to do things like eat and drive I had to work. Luckily, I have always been a great multi-tasker. I baby sat, waited tables and ultimately ended up working as a tech in an environmental lab. Starting at $9 per hour, we though we hit the jackpot. Remember this was in 1998. Three months after I started working there, the two other employees quit, making me the de facto boss of the lab. I parlayed this into a raise and a part time position for SOB, who would frequently come in with me on the weekends to help.

Despite our sweet jobs, we were still broke. Not 'getting evicted' broke, but 'occasionally not having enough money for laundry' broke. The early stages of our relationship had moved along quickly, and while we always talked about getting married, getting engaged was going to be a tough considering our lack of funds.

Unbeknownst to me, SOB had been researching some odd jobs. Namely, he had been looking into signing up for medical research. Having two years of med school under his belt, he knew better than to sign up for drug trials or anything else that might have had serious side effects. Luckily, he found a nice, safe study on light and melatonin. Every Wednesday night he would drive into center city around midnight, get a little vial of blood drawn, sit in a dark room for two hours, get a little more blood drawn, then he would sit and stare into a bowl of light. He called it the cosmic salad bowl, and each week the color of the light was different. After two hours and another blood draw he was finished. He got paid $20 each night, but if he completed the entire 12 week study he got a bonus that brought his total to about $1,200.

I bet you can see where this is going. When the researchers decided to do a second round, SOB volunteered again. And then again for the third round. Some of the money had to go towards books, bills and keeping us housed but he managed to squirrel away enough to buy me a ring after three sessions at the cosmic salad bowl. It wasn't huge or flashy, but it was perfect. He proposed on New Year's Eve, 1999, which was very out of character for him. He had always said he was going to propose to me on a random Tuesday in November or something, so I was quite surprised to find him down on one knee. We were already having a party that night, so we were able to celebrate and share the news with friends. It was a magical evening.

Years later I still wear that same ring. Some people I know have upgraded their engagement diamond or gotten a new ring all together, but I would never dream of such a thing. After all, it was paid for by the cosmic salad bowl of love, and that you can't put a price on.

Theme Thursday Theme Thursday Theme Thursday Theme Thursday...

I am a creature of habit. I try and wake up at the same time every day, I eat the same breakfast (lately it's been blueberry poptarts. Thanks baby!), I haul the kids to the Y, we run errands, we play, we nap, we eat, we bathe, we go back to bed. I find comfort in routines.

These past two weeks, therefore, have been a nightmare. Both kids are off of school for the summer, which was my decision, but instead of giving us a little time to adjust, I signed Sam up for two different camps back-to-back. Last week he had Y camp and this week it's soccer camp. He's absolutely loving it, but it's like Old Mother Hubbard's over here because my schedule is totally on its ear. In all seriousness, I'm almost out of poptarts!

As you can see, teaching three and four-year old kids soccer requires a fair degree of repetition as well. There are a lot of repetitive drills and games, and every day his yummy lovely 24-year old friendly British coach has to remind them that soccer players don't use their hands at least two dozen times!

There is a fair amount of repetition on the sidelines as well.

Lucy and her stroller crew pass the time trying to get into the action, only to be bribed away with toys and snacks!

The best way for me to maintain my sanity in these weeks of schedule mayhem is to have a little project. The hydrangea I planted last year is blooming, much to my surprise!

Every few days I try and snap a few shots of the blossoms as they progressively open. These five shots span about three weeks.

What sort of repetition do you have to share this week?

The Birds and the Bees

It's funny how nature is really just all about sex. Everything in the whole wide world is all about reproduction. From single celled organisms to giant whales, everybody and everything is on a constant path towards, well, doing it. And if you spend even the tiniest time looking, you'll see it all around you.

Flowers are nothing more than sex on a stem. As soon as I saw this configuration I was immediately reminded of another reproductive organ.

Here are all of the girl and boy bits on full display. Pistils and stamens are nothing but egg and sperm to a lily. Notice any geometric similarities in the girl parts?

And even though it's cliche, I can't help but include a photo the most prolific crop in my garden right now.

I have a yard full of these phallic delights. The funny thing is that even though they bear a striking resemblance to a rather male specific part, they are actually more of a womb, holding hundreds of tiny baby seeds. That make me burp.

I guess being surrounded by all of this organic p0rnography is how I ended up like this for a third time. Thanks, Mother Nature!

New Philly Moms Post!

Read all about my degree in parenting over at The Philly Moms Blog!

Lil' Devil

I've always loved this photo of Sam from last fall, so I decided to enter it into this week's I Heart Faces contest: Let's hear it for the boys! I didn't notice the horns until later, but I think they're rather appropriate!

Check out all of the other male faces entered this week at I Heart Faces!

Abstract Tomatoes for My Best Shot Monday

This year I planted some different types of things in the garden. A few unusual types of pumpkin, some weird peppers and five different types of tomatoes. 

These vines belong to some yellow pear tomato plants. They are tall, thin and spindly and just so interesting to look at, especially up close. I took so, so many shots this weekend, but as Tracy requested, I picked this one because it just kind of jumped out at me! 

Visit Mother May I to see what everyone else choose as their best shot this week!

SOOC: Nothing At All Like Her Twin Sister

What a difference a few days makes. If Wednesday's shot was a tease, well then I guess these shots would be going all the way. 

Visit Melody at Slurping Life for more SOOC Saturdays.

Theme Thursday Week 11

This week has been fun. Sam had an awesome time at camp, Lucy and I got some good girl time in, and SOB didn't hate work. As much. Every morning when we would come downstairs, as soon as I would open my computer Lucy would give me the sweetest look and request 'Taco Danny songs?' Later, when we would get in the car, she'd give me the same look and ask 'Taco Danny songs?' If she misbehaved in any way, all I had to was threaten to take away her precious Taco Danny songs and she fell into line. Right now she's hanging on my leg begging for more Taco Danny songs. With that in mind, I give you this week's theme!

Week 11 Theme: Repetition

I like finding patterns in images, and repetitive elements can make for a great shot. 

I also like my brother's music. It's a good thing because otherwise I would have lost my mind on Tuesday. 

Come back and share on Thursday!

Dear Hospital Where I Plan To Give Birth,

For the love of god, please install some fucking changing tables in your rest rooms. When I'm trapped inside the living hell that is know as the glucose tolerance test and I have my crazy toddler with me, it would be nice. I mean, laying her down on the single stall bathroom floor on a sweaty and woefully small gym towel was great and all, but she didn't really appreciate it later when I had to dip her in bleach. 

As an aside, if you could also convince some of your docs to do some effing research and come up with a better easier less time consuming and ass-y way to test us preggos for gestational dia-betus, that would be awesome. 

KTHXBI, 

Amy Jo

Theme Thursday: Lazy Days

All week, while Sam has been at camp, Lucy and I have been having a time of it. The schedule is kept clear, and we just do exactly what Lulu wants, which couldn't please her more! The funny thing is, most of what she wants to do is whatever Sam has been wanting to do, so we've played a lot of basket ball. But when he's not here I can lower the hoop so she can actually make a basket. We've also been going on walks. Holding hands and walking down our block is one of her favorite activities. 

After a few rounds of one-on-one and a walk we go to pick up Sammy. When we get home everybody crashes. Well, not me. I just lurk around with my camera! The weather has been cool and moist and gloomy this week. It feels a lot more like March than June. The intermittent rain and lack of warm sun keeps the lawn pretty wet, which makes it tough to mow. It also makes it the perfect habitat for smurfs. 

Finally, after spending too much time on the wet and fungus filled lawn, I head inside. The other day I decided to take my camera upstairs with me. There was a photo from last week's BSM that inspired me to try and snap some shots of sleeping babes. (Here it is!) Since Sam's room has blackout curtains, Lucy got to be my guinea pig!

As you can see, she likes her privacy while snoozing. She usually has that blanket up over her face, but I was able to pull it down for a few quick shots. Not the best technically, but I love it all the same! I'll have to give it another shot the next time we have some nicer, brighter weather.

Were you lazy this week? 

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In other lazy news, I totally missed my blog's birthday! It should be easier to remember considering it falls on the same days as my friend Carrie's birthday, but I always seem to forget. I can't believe it's been four years. The baby that was growing in my belly is now sitting next to me eating cocoa krispies. How did that happen? Anyway, happy birthday to Cheese!

Such a Tease

Visit Wordless Wednesday for more!

Calling All Campers!

Yesterday was Sam's first day at YMCA day camp. I dropped him off at 8:30, went down to the locker room, called my mom and had a little cry. 

The Y was a huge part of my life growing up. Most of my childhood memories that aren't home or school oriented are either from church or the Y. My mom worked there, so we always had a membership. One of my first jobs was babysitting during aerobics classes, which paid me a whopping $2 per hour! One of my first boyfriends was a super-cute Y lifeguard named Jeff. When I turned 13 I became a junior camp counselor (an unpaid position, I might add) and I continued to work summer camp until after my freshman year in college. I got paid when I got older, by the way. 

Even though the campers I worked with were older, I know the ins and outs of 'little camp' pretty well as my best friend and mom both worked with the little guys. There would be singing, swimming, arts and crafts and general running-around-crazy-play time. 

I was a crazed maniac little anxious in regards to the swimming. I thought I was keeping my own neuroses under control until Sam informed me that he was 'nervous' about swimming without me. His. Exact. Words. While it took the effort of a thousand men, I was able to refrain from asking the camp director if any kids had ever drowned on their watch. I did, however, inquire about the time of the swimming. My reasoning being that if I knew swimming would be over by a certain time, I could relax a smidgen at that appointed hour because the danger would be over. Of course, when my sister-in-law called right after the swim session began, I just about laid an egg. 

But, of course, all of my worries were for naught. He loves the swimming with all of his tiny heart. He also loves playing tag, or as he explained, 'that game where I run up and touch you on your back and then you run up and touch me on my back!' In fact, he loves tag so much that he peed in his pants because he didn't want to go inside to use the restroom. But his favorite part of the day would have to be the very beginning. The kids get dropped off in the gym, so while they wait for everyone else to arrive there is general mayhem. Correction: general mayhem with basketballs. Real basketballs and real basketball hoops. Not that he even stands a chance of making a basket, mind you. But he tries so very, very hard. 

Although I hate to say it, it certainly is fun to play at the YMCA. 

On Birthdays and Presents

Some gifts from our garden...



And in black and white, just for fun...



This year I tuned 30, which means all of my best girlfriends from college are turning/have turned 30 as well. The three of us who have already celebrated the milestone have been lucky enough to celebrate together. Last night we had some friends over for Carrie's birthday. I had intended to get a photo of the three of us girls together, but things got away from me. Luckily, our other friend Chrissie is a super thoughtful and talented photographer, and she snapped this shot of me and Carrie and our little girls.



As you can see, we're both knocked up. She's due September 1st and I'm due September 30th. Our girls are only five months apart, and I'm so excited that the newest batch of kids will be close in age as well!

Visit Tracy at Mother May I for more photography fun!

Theme Thursday Week 10!

Welcome to week 10 of Theme Thursday at The Cheese Party! I've been trying all morning to come up with a good theme, but I. Am. Exhausted! Last night SOB and I went to see Eddie Vedder in concert, and when we got home we watched the Penguins pull out a miraculous victory in game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. I bet my father cried. I almost cried, both at the concert and at the game, but I'm hormonal.

Anyway, now that summer is here (unofficially) and school is out, I'm anticipating some low key days ahead. Starting with today, so mom can rest up a little! So onto this week's theme!

Week 10 Theme: Lazy

As in, the lazy days of summer and all that. With little kids, I doubt there will be much sleeping in, but aside from camp weeks I'm hoping to keep scheduled activities to a minimum.

Come back on Thursday to share your lazy summer plans!

I've Been Duped!

My son is honest to a fault. If I'm in the kitchen and I hear Lucy crying in the living room, all I have to do is ask why. Sam will immediately offer up the reason/reasons, which can range from 'because she can't reach the crayons' to 'because I belted her in the head.' When I pick him up from school, he'll often volunteer whether he's been good or bad before I even speak to his teachers. I don't think it's really about morals or values or anything. I think it's just that he doesn't know how to lie.

Yet.

Lately he's been experimenting a little with dishonesty. Dipping his toe into the pool of falseoods, if you will. For example, let's say Sam wants to throw his ball in the house. This is expressly forbidden, and he knows that. Recently, he's been coming to me to ask if he may throw his ball in the house. When I say no he says, 'Maybe I just not tell you I throw the ball!' So far, he hasn't actually carried out any of his diabolical plans. I think he's starting to realize that if I don't see him actually do something, well then maybe he might not get in trouble for his actions.

One deceptive behaviour he has mastered, much to my dismay, is the art of pretend sleeping. Sam is a kid who still needs to nap most days. Many kids his age are so over napping, but if he misses his afternoon snooze, he literally begs to be put to bed between 5:30 and 6. And then he gets up at the crack of dawn the next day and mama can't have that, so the afternoon nap stays.

All through vacation, napping wasn't an issue because he was so worn out from swimming, golfing, beaching, etc. that he would drop off to sleep the minute we closed the door. But once we got home and back to our normal, non-exhausting schedule, getting him to sleep has been a struggle. If I hear him jumping 'round his room, an easy task in our old house, I simply sit with him until he's asleep. Twice this week, though, he's faked me out!

How? Well, our neighbors are having their house painted (and I can't leave them alone. Go read all about it at the Philly Moms Blog.) and sometimes the noises they make with their ladders and such sound an awful lot like Sam running around his room. Just to be sure, though, I check on him whenever I hear a suspicious sound. We have creaky stairs (old house, remember?) and I guess they are loud enough to alert him to my approach. Two times now he's made it into his bed and done a remarkable job of looking asleep without me catching on until much later.

The good news is that since he still doesn't get lying, when I ask him what he was doing in his room, he can't help but respond with the truth. Even if the truth is that he's been playing with his cars and monkey toys.

Sunny Days

Well, I think I may have jinxed the Philadelphia area when I chose this week's theme. Sorry! As soon I I typed the word 'sunny' the clouds gathered and they haven't really left yet. I had some vacation photos on SOB's computer and a few from the garden on Sunday, though, so all is not lost!

Unfortunately, the new MacBook crashed, too. We think it might be a problem with the photoshop software that SOB, um, borrowed from someone else. Someone else of of dubious origins, apparently. Therefore all of my shots are SOOC and will be for the foreseeable future. Oh well! It'll be good for me to work on composing my shots in the camera instead of trying to fix them up afterwards.

First, some mini-golf fun!

We get one of these shots on every vacation. Click here to see last year's!

FORE!

Sam enjoyed the 'Captain Hook Guy!' a great deal.

And now some shots from the garden...

Hydrangeas just about to bloom.

And lilies just about to bloom.

The veggies are starting to grow and the flowers are about to bust out and I couldn't be happier!

What sunny shots do you have to share this week?

ERUPTING WITH RAGE

The new macbook is dead. It obviously has some problem with me and I hate the world.

Just Call Him Captain Underpants

Sam's newest craze? Sleeping in only his underpants. When he wears his boxer briefs, he looks like he's a teenager. And remarkably like my brother. (Not that I see my brother in his underpants often, but we did grow up in the same house. I'm just saying.) 

It's totally freaking me out.

!!!!!!!!#@#@!!!##!!!!

My new computer is here! And! AND?!?! It is glorious! Also, the thing-a-ma-jigger that SOB is going to use to retrieve the data from my old hard drive is here, too! And I just got a sweet pair of tickets to Friday night's Eddie Vedder show!

If you don't hear from me, assume I died of happiness. 

Childhood Phantoms

Yesterday I held Sam as he cried. He cried for his grandparents, a long, hard cry. He misses them so much, and not just because they let him watch as much TV as his head can hold or because they secretly fill him up with M&Ms and 'orange treats' (you might know them as them Tic Tacs.) Simply because he misses them. He misses their physical presence, hugging them, playing with them.

As he sobbed, I felt my eyes well and my chest get tight. SOB was still here, and he (gently) admonished Sam, telling him there was no reason to cry. I think I was just as surprised as he was when I snapped at him to leave Sammy alone, to let him have his cry. To let me have my cry with him. I held him tighter and rocked him a little, just like when he was a baby, and soon enough we were ok.

Afterwards, SOB asked me what and why?

It was as if, for those few moments, I was a little girl again. Maybe seven, maybe eight. We would see my maternal grandparents twice every year. Once at the holidays and for two weeks every summer. Most years, we would pile into our mini-van as soon as we got home from the very last school day. Eighteen hours later we would be jumping in my grammy's pool. For two weeks we did nothing but swim and eat and play. It was glorious. But like everything, it had to end. I would cling to my grandmother, sobbing uncontrollably, wet and snotty and out of control. Somehow, eventually, my parents would get me in the car, but the sobbing would continue, usually until I fell asleep.

The winter visits weren't any better. I remember going to my father's brother's wedding and forcing my family to leave early because my grandparents had left during the ceremony and I was distraught over not saying goodbye.

My grandparents eventually moved back north, but only at the tail end of my high school career. While I pretended to be cool about it, inside I was giddy. They were there to see me graduate, and even though my grandfather was too proud to accept the special front row seating due to his knee replacement, I still got the tickets in hopes they would sit where I could see them.

So when Sam wept over missing his nunni and pappy, I couldn't help but weep with him. I've never been able to recall so keenly my own childhood emotions as I did in that moment, and even though I was crying with him, in most ways I was crying for myself.

We clung together for a few moments, and after a while we both started feeling better. That's what moms are for. That's what babes are for.

Back at Home (And This Week's Theme!)

We're back on home turf. My computer is potentially fixable, according to the Apple Genius Bar peeps. It'll take a while and cost more than what I carry in my wallet, but it should be coming back to mama good as new in a few weeks. So when you see vacation pics in two weeks, you'll know everything is back as it should be!

After two days of rain at the beach, today was a gloriously sunny surprise. We spent most of the day tending to our garden and plants. In only one week, almost everything doubled in size. And so did the weeds. After I was done pulling out what seemed like a metric ton of crab grass, I just sat my sweaty ass down on the front steps. I glanced over at my Gerber daisy and saw that it was crawling with giant ants. After I got over the creepies, I grabbed my camera.

Visit Tracy at Mother May I to see what everyone else has to share this week!

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So on Saturday we were driving home and my parents stayed until yesterday and all of a sudden it's Monday and I realized I never posted this week's theme!

Week 9 Theme: Sunny

Vacation was all sunshine until the very end, it's been sunny since we've been home, and we've been delighted. So come back on Thursday and share your sunny photos!

Buoyancy

Floating in a pool is sooooooo relaxing. I can think of no better way to spend the few hours a day us adults get alone while the kids are napping. At least while on vacation. At home I have no pool to float in, so I'm kind of screwed into doing laundry or making beds something.

(Check out my super awesome noodle engineering project. I was attempting to find a way to sun my fish-belly arms whilst also remaining cool. Perhaps the best $5 I ever spent on vacation, ever. Also, same bathing suit as here! That makes me marginally glad as it's proof my ass hasn't expanded too greatly.)

Being pregnant has added an entire new level to the experience, though. There is nothing at all normal about feeling the baby inside me floating around as I float around as well. Since I'm only 24 weeks (24!) the baby is still fairly unrestricted in it's uterine home. There is plenty of space and fluid for the little bugger to flip and splash around, and when I'm free floating so is he/she. The sensation is wholly and entirely different than the normal baby kicking sensation.

Being that this is my third time around, discovering something new and unusual was a pleasant surprise for me.

Theme Thursday: Sad Mac Edition

Vacation has been really, really terrific. We've been relaxing and relaxing and relaxing some more.

Until yesterday afternoon.

When my computer died.

Please click this link to hear exactly how I'm feeling about that.

On the plus side, SOB brought his computer, so I'm not totally out of touch with the interwebs. And I have my phone. On the minus side, every single photo I've taken on vacation are on my computer. My dead computer. Including all of the photos I had selected for Theme Thursday.

Click here again.

In a very serious minus, the Apple peeps said I might be totally Fucked-with-a-capital-FUCK in regards to said computer. I backed up my photos right before we left, but I will be totally devastated if I can't get my pictures from this week back. I've taken close to 1,000, and I didn't even get to look at the ones I took today.

Seriously sad.

The worst part? We were actually planning to buy a brand spanking new computer as soon as we got back. SOB gets some monies from work for computers and software and such, and it's a use-it-or-lose-it kind of deal. The lose-it deadline is looming, and so a new computer purchase is on the horizon. If only we had done it before vacay.

I could go on and on (and on) about my sad mac situation, but what's the use? Instead, here's one of the only photos I have available that includes some family. It's from my phone, so the quality is questionable, but I love it just the same. Sam and Lulu have been having a blast with their grandparents, and the grandparents seem to be enjoying the kids just as much. When we're all in the pool, mom and dad might as well be chopped liver. It's all Nunni and Pappy, all the time.

Seriously, look at how happy they are!

I can't wait to see what you all have to share this week. I am hoping you'll be able to provide the cheering up I so desperately need!

Ball Sand Castle

Sam saw this on TV, so of course we had to make one. It took almost 45 minutes, because if you watch the first video all the way to the end, you'll see how Lucy was contributing. It was a lot of fun, though!

Testing

This template leaves something to be desired, but I can fit larger format photos on it. Whadda ya think?

Seven

Seven years ago today we arrived at this little cottage for our honeymoon. It's just a few blocks up the street and one street back, and it's called Felber. We spent five days doing a lot of the same things we're doing now: relaxing, walking on the beach, eating. SOB is drinking some beer, which I am obviously not doing, but that's ok. Last night we went to dinner, and I had wet hair and a bare face, and that's ok, too. We have a few more little people running underfoot this time around, and that's more than ok. 

Seven years doesn't seem that long in the grand scheme of things, but I feel like we've known each other our entire lives. It's hard to remember a time in my life when he wasn't with me. I even sometimes insert him into my memories, and when he corrects me, I'm flabbergasted. 

Here's to at least seven times seven more years of walking on the beach together. 

What's Your Play - 48

I've been a big fan of DolcePics for a while. Every week she hosts a little processing project called 'What's Your Play' but I've always been too timid to dip my toe into the pool. Well, last week I took the plunge. I used photoshop, and besides cropping I increased the contrast and de-saturated the color. Nothing fancy, but I don't think it's too shabby! 

Visit Laura at DolcePics to see everyone's play!

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And don't forget about Theme Thursday this week! We're focusing on Family. Come back on Thursday to share your photos! 

By the Sea

We're at the end of our second day of vacation, and I'm already sun burnt. Secretly, I kind of enjoy it, as long as it's not too burn-y. Kind of like how my brother-in-law likes a little sand in his potato chips. It's just not the beach without it!

There are all these tall flowers, some as high as eight feet, and I have no idea what they are. I just know I love them.

Creepy but lovely. Click to enlarge, if you don't have issues with weird cyborg bug eyes.

These plants looked evil and cyborg-y, too, if that's even possible. If you enlarge you can see a bunch of teeny-tiny ants sucking on it. Ew.

On the west coast there are palm trees everywhere. On the east coast we have pine trees.

Sunset. Need I say more?

I think I choose the tall flower in the first shot for my best. But it's hard to pick, because on vacation all of my shots feel like best shots!

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For more Best Shots, visit Tracy at Mother May I. And don't forget about Theme Thursday. We're focusing on Family this week. Come back on Thursday to share your photos!

Second Time Around...

This is my first time entering in the I heart faces photo contest. This is from last year at Lucy's first birthday, but I love it and it fits the category. 

Visit I Heart Faces to see more of the entries.