Vacation 2011: Part Two

I am back and work and woefully behind on my blogging. Mostly because I had a million emails to sort through and a child who has decided that every little thing must be a battle. I'm not sure if it's because of 2 weeks of family togetherness or that she is creeping up on the dreaded 2.5 age which I have heard is all about testing boundaries. But either way Cameron has realized that Mommy and Daddy are not omnipotent beings and she has free will to resist us.

Despite the constant "no, no, no" refrains during the second part of our vacation we had a wonderful time on Sebago Lake with my parents. Photo proof is below.

Cameron and I snuggle on the boat. Cameron liked the boat a lot but preferred it when Bumpa went slow. She also freaked out when we were going tubing off the back of the boat. When I got on she had a total meltdown.

Cameron gets to drive the boat with Bumpa.
Cameron models her bikini. Yes, I am that parent who put her in a bikini. In my defense they were the only swim suits available at Wal-Mart. What is our world turning into?
Cameron has a mid morning ice cream snack with her new friend Julia. Ice cream became it's own food group for her during vacation.
Julia, unlike Cameron, liked when the boat went fast. Cameron is easily influenced and agreed with Julia when she told my dad to go faster.
Cameron enjoys some homemade blueberry ice cream cake.
Why did we have ice cream cake? Because my darling husband turned 40 during our trip. Yes, I am officially married to a man in his middle age and I'm loving it. Happy birthday!
Cameron and I go swimming in the lake. It was about 80 degrees and wonderful.
If only Cameron would let me put her hair in a pony tail and keep her barrettes in...
There was a wild life part about 30 minutes from my parents that we went to twice. Cameron loved the bears but got a time out for throwing her barrette into their cage. Don't worry, it didn't actually make it into the cage but Mommy was not happy.
The Maine house doesn't have a tub so Cameron had all her baths in my parent's awesome sink. My mom designed it and it was perfect for giving baths.

Vacation 2011: Part One

I realize I have been MIA for the past two weeks but it has been for a very good reason. Vacation! First preparing for and then during it. In fact, vacation will continue for another week which is awesome. I have been having some internet challenges but my dad hooked me up. Every other year for the past 6 years or so DH and I have been taking 2 week vacations. Yes, it's a long time but it really gives us a chance to decompress. This time around we also had a chance to visit with family.

DH and Charlie drove from Charlotte to Springfield, MA last Friday. Being a smart mom, Cameron and I flew to Hartford to meet them. Could you imagine having a toddler on a 12 hour straight drive? No, me either which is why we flew.

Cameron has been having a great time and thankfully she has been napping and sleeping generally well. Eating? More like snacking but I am in vacation mode and am trying not to be too freaked out by the fact that the last time she ate a vegetable was a week ago.

I will write a more detailed synopsis of our vacation in later posts but for now...pictures!

Here Cameron and her daddy try out her new scooter which was donated by her cousins. As you can see, it was a hit.

It was really hot for about two days while we were in Springfield. Like Charlotte hot. The only difference? No air conditioning. Hence Cameron's wardrobe below.

Cameron enjoys her first experience at Friendly's. Needless to say, the ice cream was a big hit.

Cameron with her two cousins. They loved hanging out with her and gave me some nice downtime to relax and spend time talking to adults.

Here are all the cousins enjoying ice cream on the porch. I think Cameron has had ice cream more often on this vacation than her entire life combined previously!

Cameron attempts to play croquette. Very unsuccessfully, I might add.

Cameron helps her cousin practice her reading.

Tuesday Thoughts

For the second time in less than 2 months I had to bring my 2002 VW Jetta to the dealership to get the A/C fixed. During the longest heat wave we've had all year, natch. Becoming a one car family for 5 days was both harder and easier than I thought it would be. Easier because DH works from home so we didn't have to deal with his commute. And he is usually puttering around the house on the weekends while I run errands with Cameron so there was a minimal amount of negotiating for car usage.


It was harder because it made my commute inflexible. I had to leave the office at a specific time so I could make it home in time for DH to leave at 5 to get Cameron from daycare. Normally that isn't a problem but I've been busting my butt on a really big project that the first major deliverable was due last week. It was also painful to go from my compact car to a SUV. First, we blew through gas like crazy. Secondly the garage by my office has a lot more parking for compact cars than SUVs. And unlike so many others I actually park in SUV designated parking. I hate it when a big SUV squeezes into a compact car space. Suck it up and find an open spot!

Cameron has been going through an "I can't do it" stage. DH is very troubled by this and has taken to refusing to let Cameron use the word "can't". He wants her to know she can do anything she puts her mind to. I'm less militant about the word "can't" and just tell her that she can do it and help her to complete whatever the task is. But I think it's cute that DH is all serious about building up Cameron's confidence levels.

In sports related news, Cameron has a pretty good throwing arm. She already throws better than me but that's because, as my husband puts it, I throw like a girl. Yes, I really do.

Is it normal that Cameron is already lying? Or is she really not lying she just doesn't understand? The other day I put witch hazel and a band aid on a big bug bite. When DH saw the band aid and asked her what happened (5 minutes after I treated her) she told him that she fell down. I reminder her of what really happened and she responded with "Oh, yeah." I'm mean, she's only 28 months so I can't imagine she is deliberately lying, right? At what age should I expect to encounter and manage lying?

And finally I am T minus 4 days from being on vacation. Two weeks of family, friends and summer fun. But can it truly be called a vacation when there isn't daycare too?

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun: Part 2

As promised, there is a part two of our girls weekend adventure. Saturday was very tiring. Mostly because I am not used to staying up until midnight and my body automatically woke me up at 6:30 AM and I could not fall back to sleep. It was also tiring because we hit two museums and I sadly realize that my 40+ hours a week of sitting on my ass while doing my job in no way prepared me for trekking through massive buildings.

We hit a crepe place just across the street from the hotel. The crepes were great and it was probably our cheapest meal of the trip. Mommy, Esq. was impressed with the "European" feel of the restaurant but Natalie wasn't feeling much of anything but hung over.

Not happy with her decision to have a shot of tequila.

On A.'s suggestion we walked to the Metro in DuPont circle to get to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. It took us about 40 minutes in very crowded trains to get to our stop. It definitely reminded me why I prefer cabs.

DH told me that this is like the third longest escalator in the US. Can anyone confirm that?

The museum was really interesting and was completely new to me given the changes in exhibits since I was there more than a decade ago. Helen was our tour guide being a professional teacher and all. She was better than purchasing the audio tour and if you are lucky, she'll let you rent her out for your visit to DC.

Helen shows us that size is all relative.

We grabbed some ridiculously over-priced food at the museum's cafeteria and then headed towards Mommy, Esq.'s choice of enrichment activity: the Hirshhorn Museum. In general I like art. I even like some modern art, particularly paintings or sculptures. What I don't like (because I don't understand it) are installations. There was one room that had three different displays of an elephant playing dead and then standing up. Or the condensation cube. Just odd. Fortunately for me, Natalie was equally un-impressed and we were able to sooth our aching feet on the numerous couches scattered around the floors while simultaneously making fun of the things we had seen.

We were pretty beat at that point so it was back to the hotel for a nice long nap before our fancy dinner. I napped for 90 whole minutes. It was freaking amazing and makes me realize how little I appreciated napping before I had a child.

We got ourselves dolled up and arrived promptly for our amazing dinner at the Darlington House. The food was sooooooooo good that I ended up with a food baby. Since I lost so much weight I haven't really tested the limits of my stomach size. I can no longer say that! I ate so much that I was kind of in pain but the food was so good it in no way diminished the memory of the dinner.

The matching outfits was not planned but very cute.

Helen, A. and I walked to our next destination (mostly so I could walk off the pain of my food baby) which was this cool little speak easy type bar called the Gibson. It was kind of cool because there was no sign and you had to basically knock on the door and give a password (in this case a reservation) to get in. They were a little pretentious by requiring you to order of their limited drink menu (no regular vodka martini was an option) but we settled in to enjoy several drinks. At this point I was ready to head home, mostly because of my overly full belly. But Helen came up with an interesting game that kept me in my seat. My lips are sealed (and fingers tied) about the game but it kept me through two more drinks.

Drinking through the pain of a too full stomach.

We gamely tried a bar next door but the loud music, non-existent lights and crowds resulted in an immediate exit and return to the hotel bar.

Our final eating stop of the weekend was an early brunch at The Hook in Georgetown followed by some window shopping. Then it was a sad good-bye to A. and off to the airport to kill a few hours before taking off.

As I said in my first blog post about our ladies only weekend it was a lot of food, a lot of booze and a lot of laughs. We're already planning our trip for next year!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

This past weekend was the first of what will hopefully be a annual occurence: a girls only weekend. Not only is it girls only, it's child free!!

5 of us met up in the nation's capital to reconnect, eat lots of food, explore some museums, shop, drink and relax. And we did all of those things and more. Joining me on my trip are fellow bloggers (albeit some who have fallen off the map) who are also sisters and friends. The trip was actually proposed by Mommy, Esq. We settled on Washington, D.C. because it had been years since most of us had been there (except for Helen) It was also a central location for me to fly from Charlotte and Mommy, Esq., Helen and Natalie to fly from Boston. A. lives in the area so she had to easiest journey.

We scheduled our flights to arrive around 11 AM on Friday and met up in the airport. Even before we got in the taxi we were already laughing and chatting like it had just been last week since we saw each other. To put it in perspective we have been friends since we met in first grade. Despite the vagaries of life, different job and geographies, we have been able to maintain a deep friendship that I value greatly.

So much went on during girls weekend that I will dedicate at least 2 blog posts to the events surrounding our trip. And lot of pictures, of course!

We stayed at the Hotel Palomar in Dupont Circle. Close to Metro access and restaurants it was also dog friendly (based on the number we ran into) and had a hopping lat night bar scene. It also boasted a wedding and a fraternity reunion. Good thing I brought those ear plugs. The hotel was very nice and had a pool. I highly recommend it if you are planning a trip to DC. We got two rooms and the sisters (me, A. and Mommy, Esq.) shared one room with Helen and Natalie taking the other.

The hotel had a very modern yet funky feel to it. They had these super heavy animal print bathrobes just perfect for pictures!

After we lounged by the pool for a few hours, devoured some gossip magazines and split a bucket of beer we dolled ourselves up to head out to Lauriol Plaza Restaurant to enjoy some Mexican food. Ironically we were meeting up with some of Mommy, Esq.'s friends and she ended up having to take a conference call and met us there later. I made sure to note to her friends (who I've met before) that I was Stacey, not my sister. Let's just say that given our similarity in looks there have been some mix ups in the past.

Helen and Natalie were adventurous enough to do a tequila shot. I have sworn off hard alcohol from too many bad experiences and stuck to white wine and sangria. Plus lots of water which enabled me to avoid the hangover situation. Good call on my part!

My sisters and me.

Notice the similarities?

After leaving the restaurant we hit an Irish bar for a few more drinks and then it was back to the hotel. The rest of the group indulged in a bottle of champagne. Personally I hate the taste of champagne so I stuck with my usual wine.
A wonderful Friday in Washington, DC! Coming soon will be part two as I walk you through our equally fun, tiring, food and booze infested Saturday.

We have joined the dark side

That's right, this weekend we invested in a personal DVD player. I am flying solo with Cameron up to Massachusetts in a few weeks and now that she finally likes TV we can use it on the plane flight. Plus we have a 4 hour drive up to Maine after we spend a few days with my in-laws so it will come in handy in the car too.

Cameron already loves it! She requested to watch TV on it today but I don't want to encourage that. We picked up Toy Story, a Backyardigans and a Thomas video. Target was having a great sale and we even got the unit for less than seen in this link. It's so intuitive to use that Cameron has already figured out how to pause it and then resume the video.

We also picked her up some ear phones but I have a feeling she will be a lot more resistant to those. I'm already a happy parent with this DVD player and a bonus will be if it lets me read a few pages on my Kindle while we are on the plane.

For parents that have had the portable DVD players is there anything I should be concerned about? Aside from spilling drinks on the unit, of course! At what age were your kids OK with using headphones?

Monday Hodgepodge

Summer has really sprung in Charlotte. We have already been battling 90+ degree weather, lots of humidity and little rain. But, in good news, we have our first official tomato from our tomato plant. I was warned that squirrels stealing tomatoes is a real issue. But a colleague recommended soaking a rag in amonia and putting it in a plastic bag with holes. Tie it to the tomato cage and it will keep the squirrels away. I haven't tried it yet but plan on executing this weekend.

Cameron has been loving the pool and splash park at the JCC. We've been 3 times in the past two weeks and it's a great time suck on the weekend. A plus is that I am developing a nice little tan (with sunscreen - stay safe!) in preparation for our big upcoming vacation to Maine. The downside is that Cameron is not a fan of sharing her toys. We usually bring a few buckets and shovels and she will use them with the water sprays at the splash park. It is physically impossible for her to play with all 3 buckets but she won't let anyone else play with them too. DH and I are being diligent but it appears as though sharing is a concept that will take some time for her to understand and do.

Speaking of toys...we have hit the stage where Cameron isn't playing with any of her million toys. I'm not sure if it is because she prefers to be outside or helping us in the kitchen or watch TV but she has only really been playing with her arts and crafts. Play-Doh is still a big hit.

Cameron is now displaying a tendency to slip into a Southern accent. Gah! I managed to avoid the Boston accent growing up and I insist that Cameron be accent neutral or at least not sound very Southern. DH is on board too but we are finding it difficult given her exposure at daycare. I only have approximately 48 hours to undue the 45 hours of daycare influence each week. Lately Cameron has started saying, "Yeah" with a very Southern accent. Somehow the one syllable word has turned into 3: "Yeh-yaaaaah". Every.single.time she says it like that DH or I correct her. "Cameron, we say 'yes' not 'yeh-yaaaah.'" It's gotten to the point that when we start to correct her she repeats that sentence along with us. I know that I have a few readers who are transplants to the South. How are you handling the accent?

Lastly, I have been playing Words with Friends for a few weeks. DH convinced me to hop on the bandwagon. Is it wrong that I find it to be stressful? I am a competitive person (I'll pause there while you gasp in shock) and I lose at this stupid game 90% of the time! I kind of dread when a game is over and I'm asked for a rematch. What is the etiquette here? Should I just disappear and delete the app off my phone? Is it possible to get a big point word when 6/7 letters are vowels and 4 of those are Es? How can I lose a game when I get a 102 point word? This is the stuff that keeps me up at night.

The hostess with the most-ess

I have always been impressed with my mom's ability to pull off an informal or formal gathering at her house. She always seems to have the right food on the right kind of serving-ware at the right time in the right amount. The secrets to her success? She loves to shop and make lists. When my mom recently traveled out to Kentucky to help one of her best friends prepare for a wedding I even asked her if she brought her trust notepad along (she did not, for the record).

About a month ago I decided we had mooched off our friends enough and it was our time to host an event. We settled on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend and it went off without a hitch due in no small part to the shopping and list making that occurred over a two week period. Yes, I know it was just a BBQ but the pressure (!) of bringing together close friends and ensuring a good time makes me crazy. Fortunately DH is excellent at making and executing lists so everything was prepared when the first guests came by.

This is the first time we had a bunch of kids (6 total) so I did a lot of brainstorming about what stuff to have to entertain them. That way the adults could have fun too. The biggest hit on the 90 degree day was of course the kiddie pool. But the sidewalk chalk, hula hoop and random assortment of balls went over well too. The more children, the more activities means the less attention parents have to pay to the kids. And that gave me enough time to enjoy some wine. I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend too!

Cameron and her daddy blowing bubbles. Fun, but messy!

Holden mugs for the camera at a friend's BBQ we went to on Saturday.

Cameron and Holden are definitely best friends. They ask for each other all the time. I'm so glad that Amanda and I signed them up for swim lessons together!

Cameron really loves her kiddie pool. Ironic considering we couldn't get her to go in it at all last year...what a difference a year makes!

I didn't have any swim diapers so we now know how much a regular diaper can absorb. The thing must have weighed 20 pounds when we took it off.

A walk in the park

For the past two weekends we have been taking Cameron to Freedom Park to walk around the lake and feed the fish. It's a nice cheap (read: free) activity that tends to wear her out. However, her stubbornness and whininess can sometimes make walking the 1/2 mile a challenge. The best part is when she doesn't want to walk in the stroller, won't hold our hands (so as to not fall into the lake) and wants to be carried by Mommy. Cameron must be pushing 26 pounds by now and while I have no problem handling that kind of weight at the gym, 3 sets of reps do not equal toting around a toddler for 10 minutes straight.

I know I need to savor this time with Cameron because how much longer am I going to be able to pick her up when she says, "Up, please?" But damn, she sure does get heavy! Parents - at what age/weight did you finally stop picking up your kids for more than a few seconds?

Cameron feeds the fish and the ducks with very, very stale Cheerios.

These sunglasses were a Christmas stocking gift from my sister, Mommy, Esq. Cameron loves them and they are very durable. If my sister remembers where she got them then perhaps she will comment on this post and other parents can pick them up. They are soft plastic and can bend...a must with a toddler!

A rare sighting: Cameron smiling at the camera!

DH took this picture so I can't take credit for the quality. Thank goodness. But this is another rare sighting: Cameron and Mommy in a picture. I am usually the photographer.

Cameron being goofy because she doesn't like to have her photograph taken.

A trip to Dan Nicholas Park

DH and I were motivated on Saturday morning and decided to take a little road trip an hour north of Charlotte to the Dan Nicholas Park. I'm normally leery of taking more than 30 minutes to get somewhere for an outing with Cameron. Mostly because I'm a control freak and need to make sure that she naps at the same time every day. Also because I'm lazy. But I did a Google search on petting zoos in the Charlotte region and this was the best one.

Once we figured out where to go (the signage at the park was very poor) we had an absolute blast. Cameron LOVED the animal barn and spent almost an hour there. A rain shower arrived at the perfect time for us to pack up and head back to Charlotte. I had lots of snacks with the hope that Cameron would stay awake for most of the hour drive back. She loved the snacks but literally fell asleep mid-bite about 10 minutes into the drive.

A fun trip results in lots of cute, photos, right? Right. So enjoy!

The sheep fascinated Cameron, especially when they started "talking" and she could say "baaaaaa" back to them.

A nice stranger offered to take our picture in these cutouts.

The carousal moved pretty quickly and Cameron seemed to enjoy riding her first "horse."

This squirrel somehow managed to get into the turkey's cage to steal some food.

A successful trip and an exhausted toddler.

A lovely Labor Day weekend

It was especially lovely because I got to sleep in twice this weekend. Thanks, DH! We had a great time with Cameron and our visiting friends. We taught them how to play Pitch, which is the best card game ever according to DH. If you grew up in Springfield, MA then there is a good chance you know how to play it.

DH and I love to play cards. Or really pretty much any game. Pitch is the perfect game to play with two couples. It is designed for 4 people. If you are interested in learning how to play, we have a spare guestroom and plenty of alcohol on hand. So feel free to come visit us in Charlotte! Another incentive is the cuteness of Cameron. Below are some photos from a visit to a playground.