Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Wedding bells

This weekend was one for the books.

I went to a wedding of an old friend. It was the kind of wedding where I showed up and felt just the tiniest bit out of place. I hadn't really kept in touch with the old friend that well, and I didn't really know any of the old friend's new friends. Plus, there were really cool bloggers that I'd been reading forever and were about to meet.

Plus the old friend getting married was an old boy friend and I just wasn't sure how things would play out. I didn't want to come across like an outsider trying desperately to belong.

Clearly, I still have my fair share of insecurities.

But guess what...

...it was one of those weddings that are fantastic. Tons of cute personal touches, lots of great ambiance, cool quirky music and some of my favorite people in the world showed up to make me laugh. Before I knew it 3 hours had flashed by, the bride and groom had zoomed away on their vintage bicycle-built-for-two and I was left with the happy feeling of an occasion well celebrated.

And then the next day was spent soaking up the rest of the magic in the world at Disneyland.



For me, it doesn't get any better!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Making new friends

The ear doctor and I have mastered the art of being an aunt and uncle. Got it down cold.


Last night we invited a newly acquainted family over to our house for dinner. They brought their three adorable little girls; ages 7, 5 and 2. And it was rad. Here is the evidence of our aunt-ly and uncle-ly awesome-ness:

  • I made homemade chicken fingers from scratch because I've never met a kid who didn't like chicken nuggets
  • I made sure there were 2 different fruits and veg...to make mom happy
  • The bright red fruit punch was super sweet and sugar free...win win all around
  • During dinner I took the older girls to the bathroom and showed them around so mom could enjoy the adult conversation
  • The little 2 year old was on her second day of potty training and when she successfully asked and went at our house I was super excited and gave her a jelly bean
  • I let the little girls spray down our dog, despite the fact that I'd just mopped the kitchen floor and muddy paw prints would be inevitable. The dog loves this and it's our favorite way to play with him.
  • The ear doctor engaged all three little ones in an epic pillow fight complete with the toss-the-kids in the lovesac game
  • Just as they were leaving I let them pick flowers from my garden to wear tucked behind their ears
And the best thing?

  • Fed the kids early enough so that mom could get them to bed on time and doesn't have to do a single dish at home!

Monday, August 23, 2010

A dream come true

How can you tell if your husband was born in the late 70's/early 80's?


You decide it's really too hot to wear your hair down today, so instead you decide to put your hair up like this:






Just as you are smoothing the last piece of hair into place your man comes around the bathroom corner. He stops in his tracks and exclaims, "Wow! You look like Chun-Li from street fighter!"









Thanks babe

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Dog Days

I never feel like I have anything interesting to write in August. The summer zooms by so fast and before I know it I'm left with 2 weeks of summer and a sinking feeling that I wasted my "time off."


Like I didn't squeeze as much fun in the last 3 months as I possibly could. Like school is about to start and I won't be able to stay up late or go camping or do anything at all. Like there are no more chances for midnight runs to 7-11 for a cherry slurpee. Like I'm trapped inside until summer rolls around again.



But guess what? I'm not in school.


And September Colorado weather is made of the stuff of legends.


So I'm going to be spending the next month doing pretty much the same thing I did all summer which consists of eating more of these from my garden:



Scooting over to the stadium to root on the Rockies with our rally-caps firmly in place:


Playing with my pup while wearing this dress I got on eshakti:

Going on late night downtown dates with my man:


Monday, August 09, 2010

One step closer

Friday night I stayed up later than I have in YEARS!

Because at around 11:30, as I was drifting off into slumber land the ear doctor's phone rang. It was our 18 year old basement dweller asking him to come out to the curb and carry her into the house. I guess she'd spent the night messing around with some friends at a gymnastic gym. I was really jealous that she'd been able to play in the big foam pit...until I saw her sad little face.

She told us, with tear-stained, mascara streaked cheeks that she'd twisted her ankle at the gym. And then she didn't want to seem like a wimp in front of her friends so she decided to play night games with them for a few hours until the pain was too much to bear and she asked someone to take her home.

By the time she got back to our house her ankle was swelling up like a grapefruit and the tell-tale signs of a sprained ankle reared their ugly head.

So we spent the wee hours of the night/morning calming her scared little heart, icing her squashy ankle and running for the border to get a #1 with baja blast.

Yuck! Have I ever mentioned that I really hate Taco Bell? I do. But I went to get it for her at 1:30 am because that's the only thing that brought even a hint of a smile to her sad, pathetic little eyes.

At 2 am as I rolled between the sheets I thought of the taste of parenting the ear doctor and I just had. We both reacted calmly; we got her ice, and ace bandage and some comfort food.

Oh, and we called my parents for advice in the middle of the night.

Awesome...we're totally ready, right?

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

The ones who come before

The first boy I ever really truly loved is getting married in a little over 3 weeks.

To a girl who seems so out-of-this-world cool that I could not possibly be more excited for him!

I had an inkling he'd marry this girl when, 3 years ago, he sent me a link to her blog. He knew I liked blogging and he knew I'd probably like to read her blog and so, naturally he sent me the link. He was right...I loved reading what she wrote. However, after reading the first entry I knew he had a thing for her and I thought...oh boy, this girl doesn't know what's about to hit her.

Because, you see, my old flame is the quintessential wormer. The kind of guy who sees a girl he's interested in and just keeps worming his way into her heart. He's quirky and unique and totally original. Like no one you've ever met. You become friends and then, a few years later, without even realizing what has happened, you are amazed to discover you are totally head-over-heels crazy about this kid.

If I had $20 I'd bet that this is exactly what has happened over the past 3 years to this girl.


When I got their wedding invitation in the mail a few days ago, produced by the amazingly talented Jordan, I just held it for a second totally filled with joy and gratitude.

Joyful that he found someone who will love him forever.

But more than that I am grateful for all the lessons that he taught me...to be kind, to be unabashedly silly, to be proud of the nerdiest parts of my soul, to be a genuinely thoughtful gift giver, to value things that other people take for granted and throw away.

Getting to know him prepared me in so many ways for the real, true, love of my life. The ear doctor.

...and for that I will forever be in his debt.

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Veggie garden update

My pumpkin is totally taking over my entire garden.



Every morning I go out and the thing has stretched another foot across the plot! Is it ok to cut it back or will that do something bad to the rest of the plant?


Help!

Monday, August 02, 2010

Settin down roots

Last night as we were finishing up dinner I looked out through my dining room window and saw someone parked right in front of our driveway. There were two middle aged people sitting in the car staring up at our house.

Strange...

The ear doctor jumped out and went out to talk with them.


Turns out the driver was a previous owner of our cute little house. He'd been the third owner of the home from 1984-2004. Twenty years of owning and living in our little house.

I went out to join the ear doctor and we talked to them about the house. The changes they'd made, the life they'd lived, the happy times they had in our house. We invited them in to look at the house. As we walked through the house he told us stories about the improvements they'd made. He bragged about the "awesome" job of installing windows they'd done on the South side of my house, and I was able to politely bite my lip and just let it go.

When we got to the kitchen he was blown away by how different it was since we totally renovated it. And I was so excited and proud to see his admiration!

It was so cool to be standing in those rooms hearing stories about the people who'd previously been sheltered by our roof. How they'd had their two little babies between our four walls.

It made me excited to be a part of that legacy.