Cheeses

As a stay at home mom, with no nearby neighbors, the TV is on in our house semi-frequently. I try to pick shows that my kids won't be glued to, that are vaguely educational or at least not harmful.

Therefore I watch a lot of Food Network. And I have this to say:
Giada DeLaurentis, you use cheese as a crutch. I get it. Cheese is delicious. I love cheese as much as the next person, perhaps more because I am not allowed to have it (lactose intolerant + currently dairy free because of the baby). But good GOURD, woman, you can make a dish without cheese. You really can.

Sneaky FEELS

Being a mom is full of these bittersweet moments that I never expected. Sure, sure, I knew she'd learn to walk, and talk, and do all kinds of things without me. But when someone had needed you every night of her life to go to sleep, when she suddenly looks at you and waves imperiously at her crib (forgoing her usual snuggling routine), it's hard not to feel rejected. There were many nights when I dreamed I'd be able to do just that--plop her in the crib et voila! Sleeping baby!

And now here I am, feeling weepy that my baby doesn't need me any more.

Home again, home again

Thursday and Friday sort of ran together, nothing spectacular happened. Did manage to find a place to acquire fresh apples and bananas during the day, so Ms. M and I at least were getting some fruit intake (that wasn't Dole fruit cups). We had some fun swimming--one night there were tons of kids there for a swim lesson! M had SO much fun watching them, and was really into splashing around, moving her arms and legs just like the big kids. I have to say, though, that I'm really happy to be home now. Not that we've had a bad time, but it was really a learning experience about what the days will be like. Now that it's clear we need the car, it will be a game-changer for how we operate during our second visit. That's a ways off, though, thanks to some doctor visit scheduling that needed to happen, and the funky schedule due to the holiday (which J has off at one employer, but not the other, which was pretty confusing).

What a drag it is getting old

Ouch. I am stiff and sore in all manner of strange places, and I think it's because I am a) old and b) I fell weirdly yesterday. I am thankful that's ALL it is, instead of something more serious for me or Ms. M, but falls are so strange. You strain all kinds of bizarre muscles catching yourself, I guess.

Having given up all hope of getting off the campus until we return for our next visit (totally bringing my car), today was spent mostly exploring all the buildings that comprise the Center. We found one giant conference room that hadn't been set up and there was no one around--that was LOTS of fun to run around in! Ms. M enjoyed chasing me (and being chased), as well as a sip from the ever present water coolers.

Since J got to leave work a bit early, we opted to go out for dinner to enjoy the local scene a bit (usually he gets out too late for this, and we microwave some sort of dorm-style food). We went to a tasty tapas place and all of us (M included!) devoured our shrimp with polenta, delicious seared scallops with pancetta and fried leeks, and the calamari. J and I also demolished an enormous arugula salad (veggies are hard to do in a tiny underpowered microwave and a minifridge).

In which I learn a lot about taxis

So Day 2 was markedly less successful than Day 1. I set out full of good intentions and excitement, determined to push myself outside my comfort zone.

I had decided that our dinner last night (pasta with sauce and sausage) was too much of a pain to cook again (or really, anything was too much of a pain) without a bigger covered bowl to use in the microwave. So I looked up the nearest grocery store (1.9 miles) and mapped out my route. No public transportation, hmph, oh well, it's only 2 miles and the baby and I like to be outside. Strap the baby up in the (brand spanking new) Beco Soleil, and we're off.

It was drizzling. No big deal! The conference center has umbrellas for borrowing!

Quarter mile down the road, no sidewalks. Apparently really wealthy people with gigantic estates don't do sidewalks. But! There's a shoulder on the road, I can walk on that...

Until there isn't. By this point, I was starting to think perhaps I had made a mistake, but I was DETERMINED to keep going. It would have taken longer to go back, and I needed that bowl! So I soldiered on, until I tripped and fell, skinning my knee, bruising my palm and (shamefully) bumping my daughter's head on the concrete as I toppled. After ensuring no lasting damage (just a little road rash), I pushed on (real rain now) and basically dragged myself into Safeway.

Bowl acquired (as well as a bag of Goldfish for the hungry and much-abused toddler), I check out and call for a taxi. Did you know that if you want a taxi with a baby seat in it, you a) should arrange it way ahead of time and b) it costs extra. Also c) if you don't call ahead, they don't install it, and they RUN THE METER while you try and install the bloody thing in the back seat yourself? Forewarned is forearmed, people. Thank goodness I actually had the cash with me to pay for it, otherwise I would have had to call Mr. J to come get me from work, which would have been awkward (as it is only his second week there).

Anyway. I have a big bowl to make pasta in now, and I know better than to ever take a taxi here again, ever. Tomorrow is a new day!

And so it begins!

The "big adventure" I was hinting at in October is, in fact, happening. I always hesitate to post about things like that until it actually happens, because writing about a giant disappointment is incredibly boring.

So here we are!  J is working a contract for a company in the DC area, thanks to his employer's effusive praise of his abilities. The Divine Ms. M and I are fortunate enough to be able to come stay with him in his hotel suite--which is good, because with J working 12-hour days we'd only see him for about 15 minutes on Skype, otherwise. We'll be traveling back and forth a bit, staying part time here and part time at our house (it not being very good at simply taking care of itself), but this is where I'm hoping to post our adventures!

If we have any. We're notoriously boring people :)

We're staying at the Bolger Center hotel in Potomac, MD. So far it's really lovely, and the grounds are just gorgeous! The DMM and I went for a lovely walk around the buildings this morning--hopefully tomorrow will be warm as well and we can try out the nature trails!

Nerdery

I just saw the Minotaur rocket launch!  I'm so excited. It was little more than a fiery streak in the sky, but I saw it! And now it's in space!