Trapped

Violet and I are trapped in the sunroom while the carpets get cleaned. I learned the cleaners were showing up approximately ten minutes before they appeared and spent a few mad minutes frantically tossing furniture out of the way.

Seeing as I'm in the process of converting the sunroom to play room, this will be a good test run to see how Violet likes it in here.

Summer Reading

Mine looks just like this!

I am loving my Kindle. I'm addicted to it. I've always loved reading, and do my fair share of it, but something about reading on the Kindle has me blowing through books faster than a summer storm.

The first book I read on Kiki (what I've spontaneously decided to name my Kindle, although now that I see it in print I might decide I hate it EDIT: I do hate it) was The Hunger Games. First off, it was five bucks, and boy do I love a cheapo book, especially when I'm not sure exactly what I'm getting myself into.

All I knew about The Hunger Games was a) it's a YA-ish story about a girl in an alternate time who competes on a reality show where kids have to fight to the death and b) (attempting the record for world's longest sentence with most use of unnecessary parenthesis - hang in there with me) it's going to be a movie and the buzz is something fierce and Twilight-esque (not to say the plot will remotely resemble that craze-fest, but already it's popping up more and more on the radar and is about to tip out of control).

Anyway, the book was good and reading on my Kindle was even better. As soon as I finished, I put the word out on all my social networks to see if anyone had the next two in the series because (drum roll please)... they are lendable! The lovely Sabine responded right away and just like magic, book two appeared on my device, followed shortly by the last of the trilogy.

Being the good citizen that I am, I immediately turned around and lent the first book to my friend Joyce, only I didn't tell her it was coming, so she was pleasantly surprised to see the book pop up on her reader. Fun!

Naturally, now I'm scouting around for new books to read and share on my Kindle. Any suggestions? Want to lend me something?

More

It's cliche, but it's true. Kids change every day. Sometimes for the best (potty training being the optimal example that comes to mind). But sometimes it's a little sad.

For example, this is the way to say "more" in baby sign language:

Random internet child signs "more".

But this is the way Violet has always done it (more original, I think, and definitely gets the point across):

Put it right here!

But this was, in fact, the last known sighting of this awesomeness. Sometime at the beach, Violet spontaneously started signing "more" in the same-old same-old way as everyone else. Such a conformist.

Source: Athens Parent

Surfs Up!

For the second part of our vacation, we drove to Crescent Beach, where we had all rented little vacation trailers just minutes from the surf and sand. Matt showed up right as we were headed to the beach, so we all got to experience Violet's first reaction to the ocean. I think she liked it! (Cue massive relief. I couldn't handle another water park day!)



Violet especially loved being bounced over the waves and kept asking for more. She only sampled the sand a couple times (had to see what it tasted like) and got a kick about of trampling the sand castles we built for her. I had heard stories of babies who freaked out at the beach for the first time and refused to set foot on sand, but everyone agreed that Violet rocked her first introduction.

Family shot!

"...the deep blue sea, just you and me..."

Tuckered out.

The next day at the beach wasn't quite as peachy... Saturday marked exactly ten days from Violet's MMR shot, the day our pediatrician told us to expect the fussiness to set in. And it did. But we enjoyed what we could.

Starting the beach trip off with a snooze in the napping tent.

Trying her hand at the shovel. Note the base camp Dee Dee and Papa set up for us in the background. This family knows how to beach it in style! They were the best hosts!

After the beach, this little family headed back to the house to prepare dinner for everyone (we each took a night - ours was spaghetti in case you were wondering - American style, sans meatballs). Violet got some more medicine and perked up considerably. Then before you know it, it was time to pack up and head home!

No real point to this picture, I just thought the dress was cute. And from Costco, of all places!

Ending the trip off right - eating ice cream on A's lap. Violet got tired of the spoon and just went in for the grab. Girl after my own heart.

The drive home was much more manageable than the trip there. Violet knew what to expect with the car ride, got plenty of snacks, and only threw her paci on the floor and wailed in a blatant attempt to get me to turn around, oh, 846 times. Everyone arrived home safe and sound and still friends with each other, which is what I call a success. Can't wait until next year!

Vacation Download

So I'm back. I have survived many firsts in the past week, including my first road trip with Violet, my first solo vacation with Violet (Matt joined us for the second half), Violet's first trip to the water park and beach.

Going into this trip, I was nervous, not going to lie. Originally Matt wasn't supposed to come at all, but then he switched up some business plans last minute that allowed him to be in Florida at the same time we were, so he got to spend part of the vacation with us. Whew! It's hard enough traveling with a 15-month-old, but the thought of having to do it solo had me on edge.

The other factor that had me apprehensive (warning: it's a stupid reason) was being on a trip 24/7 with others (ie: not family, who have to love you regardless of how crazed your child may be). For some reason, I felt like my parenting skills were going to be on trial during this trip. I love my neighbors, and they love us, but will they continue to love us if Violet throws a seven hour tantrum in the car? Will I be judged if I indulge and spoil my child just because it's the only way anyone is going to have a moments peace? Stupid thoughts all, but mine nonetheless.

So it was with much excitement and stress that we set out. I was riding down with my neighbor K and her two boys, set to meet up with my other neighbor A at her parents house in Florida. Seven hours later. All in all, however, it wasn't too bad! Poor Violet was not feeling her best, so she slept a lot.  There was a tense 45 minute period when she screamed at us (and I'm talking screaming and writhing around in her car seat like the devil was after her), but fortunately she gave up (or as I like to put it, we broke her spirit) right as we hit traffic and got ourselves lost, so there was at least one less stress to deal with.

Sidebar: K was awesome about it. Apparently she only gets really frustrated with her own kids. If someone else's child decides to holler for an hour straight, she tunes it out with a grin. God love her. We talked a lot in the car about kids and parenting. K also gave me permission to view the trip as a bubble unto itself. So what if Violet got her paci all day instead of just at night? So what if she didn't get to bed on time or ate only ice cream for dinner? That's what vacations are for. Jumping right into this trip after the last day of school was stressful, but it was also a great way to force myself into the summer. It was a total break from routine, so that when we got home, we could construct our new, summer routine. So it turns out all those earlier fears about my parenting being judged by my friends was much ado about nothing.

Shut up already and get to the pictures? Okay, okay. Once we arrived at our destination, Violet was all smiles.

Who's ready for a dip in Dee Dee's pool?!

Poolside, pensively.

Violet found her chair and assumed it meant snack time. Nevermind that the chair was on the floor getting ready to be packed up for the beach! Girlfriend climbed herself right in!

On our second day in Florida, we decided to go to a little local water park. I was eager to see how Violet would like it. I assumed, since she loved the sprinkler so much, the park would be just an awesomely giant sprinkler and she would have a blast. Not so much. Those of you who follow this blog regularly (and you should!) or follow me on twitter (do!) know that poor Violet was just miserable the whole time. Her nose was dripping like a faucet, all she wanted to do was sleep (after the 25 dollar admission ticket), and she cried if I even tried to put her in the water. Total bust. As I told my mom later, I wasn't so much enjoying the trip as I was just enduring it. And it was only day two!

I might be miserable, but at least I look good.

That evening, I couldn't take it anymore and with the help of my fellow moms, we dosed Violet up with medicine, even if the label said she wasn't quite old enough for it. The girl was miserable and suffering what seemed like serious allergies - runny nose, puffy eyes, dry cough. Well, it did the trick. She joined the rest of the crew for dinner and ran around the house like a crazy girl. Now that's the Violet we're used to! And just in time, too, because we were about to pack up and head to the beach!

Violet and the boys.

As my neighbors were telling me (and they should know, since they've been making this trip together for five  years now), every year is different because every year the kids are at another stage in life. They agreed that this year was a tough one for Violet, because she needs so much supervision and wants so much attention. But next year (assuming I'm invited back) she'll be older, smarter, more self-sufficient, and it will seem like a whole new adventure.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. There's still more to tell you about with this trip! Although I'll save it for the next post. Stay tuned - the beach is next!

Beach Bum

As big a bust as the water park was, the beach has been a success! Violet loves digging in the sand and jumping in the waves!

Water Park

Ballerina bathing suit, $10.

Water park ticket, $25.

Most expensive nap ever, priceless.