Love Roars

Finding normal again... and a Flash Mob, too!

2012-02-03T12:37:00.000-05:00

The last month has been anything but normal around here. It started out beautifully with Dagny's 1st ice skating experience on the first... she begged to go back and Pop Pop even sprung for a pair of skates and a helmet. He had promised us that if she ever wanted to play hockey, he'd foot the bill, so we were excited when he was giddy to order her gear!

The night after this photo was taken she was playing on the playground at the Ranch and took a spill... off the top of the playground... and hit her face on a step on the way down.

I was at the store, I got the call saying that she had fallen and was ok, so we headed for the car to head back. A few minutes later I got a call to meet them at the ER and my heart dropped. I got there first and started checking in so when they arrived we could go back. After half an hour of screaming, her daddy had the brilliant idea of putting on an episode of Batman. She calmed down. Have I mentioned how much I love that man!? The freaking out ensued as soon as the doctor came in... 30 minutes later she had a few stitches inside her upper lip and we headed home. No broken bones... no concussion... no permanent damage... I was so relieved.

The next morning she woke up and the swelling was a little worse than we had anticipated. After checking in with the pediatrician, we were sent up to an ENT to have her checked out (to rule out broken bones). They took us back right away and Dr. Epstein, our new doctor and now one of my favorite doctors ever, took a look at her. He gently informed us that it was a hematoma, the blood pooled up in her cheek, and that it would have to be drained. He called over to the hospital (which is next door to his office) and booked an OR. It suddenly got real.

I kept my cool for the next few hours as we waited for her to go back and was very thankful as Joe said he'd go in with her (one of us had to). She, on the other hand, didn't have a care in the world. She knew she had a boo boo, but was playing with dolls and toys, watching movies, telling everyone about Batman and Superman, and then playing with the lockers. While I never wanted her to ever go through this, the silver lining is that she's two and didn't grasp the gravity of it all!

Thanks to Dr. Epstein, her short surgery went swimmingly well and we were back to see her in recovery within the hour (maybe longer, who knows!)! I only lost it once through all of the ordeal-- when Joe took her back for surgery-- and am very thankful for a short phone call with Jeffo who said exactly what I needed to hear (he's a PA who does orthopedic surgeries almost daily!). We got her home that night, just thankful for it all to be over!

The weeks that followed were full of children's Tylenol and antibiotics (and the resulting diarrhea). As soon as she was off the meds, literally that day, she caught a horrible cold and had a fever for a few days. She was really in great spirits considering what had been happening, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that her Daddy and I weren't absolutely exhausted from it all! We were so relieved to have her healthy by last weekend-- just in time for the White Flint Camp Fair, a huge weekend for us camp peeps!

Not only did she walk around the fair and collect camp-swag from all of the camps (as if she has a choice as to where she goes!), she even danced in the Flash Mob! Yes, my brilliant hubby had the great idea of holding a Flash Mob at the Camp Fair... let's face it, if "Party Rock" is playing, our campers will be there!

We had an amazing turnout and I'm so glad that we were able to end such an icky month with a huge dose of positivity and fun (and some booty shakin'!)! You barely see her in this (she's in the center of everyone down towards the bottom of the screen), but you get to see her Dad rocking with all of the wonderful staff and kids!

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to moving on to February and finding our "normal" again-- whatever that may be!

A Bookish Beauty @iheartfaces

2012-01-23T20:08:00.001-05:00

These past few weeks haven't been easy for our little Doodle... her first ER trip, first surgery, a week of tummy issues, and now a nasty virus! I'll save the details for another post and let you know that she's taken it all in stride and is still the sweetest little toddler a Momma could ask for!

I've been out of the blogging rhythm, but once I saw that the i heart faces theme was "By the Book," I just couldn't resist jumping in. Doodle is a bookworm. We have to limit her at bedtime to a few books because she'd go on forever-- and not because she's avoiding going to sleep. We usually have one good "long" book: "Pinkalicious," "Green Eggs and Ham," "Yurtle the Turtle," "Tangled" (Golden Book) and "Big Heroes! DC Super Friends" (Golden Book about Batman and Superman-- her new obsession with these crime fighters is a story for another day!). After a longer book, we try to wind down with "the usuals." She likes "Goodnight Moon," but doesn't demand it every night. The last two books are always "Are You My Mother?" and "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod." She recites both of them, nearly cover to cover, every night.

While this photo may not be the the best by technical standards, I did the best with what I had... no natural light and a toddler with a five minute attention span! ;)

Believe it or not, these are just a few of her books... there's another rack that I didn't bother pulling out! The book on top of the pile, Atlas Shrugged, holds a very special place in our hearts as Doodle is named after the heroine of the book. I can only dream that she grows up to be a strong, intelligent and independent woman who works hard (running a railroad, perhaps!?) and paves her own path in life. Seeing that she's already slightly bossy and tends to rule the roost, I think she's on her way to becoming her own woman! ;)

What is your favorite book?!

What books do your kids like to read??

Any recommendations?!

Finding New Adventures...

2012-01-05T22:42:00.001-05:00

As you can tell, I love going on adventures - both big and little - with my family.

I used to be a lone adventurer and loved it... I got excited about signing up for a Winter Term Study Abroad trip that I didn't know anyone else on (Guatemala). I packed my bags and headed to Eastern Russia by myself for a semester. I even enjoyed going to Indianapolis for a research conference in college without really knowing anyone on the trip... Thank goodness I did because that's where I met my hubby!

When we first met, one of the more attractive aspects about Joe (besides his smile and cute tush!) was that he was also an adventurer. He had traveled as well and wasn't looking to stop-- we spent our first summer together via pay phones and calling cards as I was living in Spain and he was in Maryland! He managed to visit me in Spain and it was the perfect test adventure to take together... He didn't mind my quirky ways and we were able to laugh over the things that went wrong. I had already known he was the one, but the fact that we could easily travel together really sealed the deal!

When we decided to start a family, we both agreed that the adventures would still continue. They may not be as newsworthy as traveling abroad (although I wish they were!), but when you chose to look at the world the way that we do-- every day is an adventure!

Doodle travels well- she's not really had a choice in the matter! She went to a Caps game at 5 weeks old and flew to Maine for a trip to Vinalhaven at 6 weeks! She's a decent car passenger and is learning the art of road trips (Hello, princess DVDs!).

What has really been fun is that as she has gotten more aware of the world- and what we're doing in it- we now experience it through her bright blue eyes! We spent a half hour feeding goats and alpacas in Deep Creek last weekend- it was as if the rest of the world faded away and her goal in life was to make sure these animals were well fed! She smiled and giggled while she talked to the goat and I could just see how purely happy she was. It cost me a few quarters in feed from a little vending machine and didn't require a single bell or whistle... Just let this girl hang out with a goat and she's happy as a clam!

I'm always looking for these small adventures because you never know where they'll lead you... And I love capturing them in photos that I'll be able to share with her someday. My hubby made a good point tonight-- that often I'm in the mood to take photos and I'll create a new adventure so I can photograph it. Although I hadn't thought of it that way, he's definitely right... but I don't think that's a bad thing. Annoying, perhaps, if you're not into me taking photos of you. To me, if that's what gets us to the Renaissance Faire or the Orchard in the Fall, then it's worth pausing for a few photos while embarking on life's adventures!

What motivates you to get out and try new things? Do you like a challenge (learning a new sport) or do you like to escape reality and enjoy the show (concerts or theater)? Would you rather go it alone or bring the little ones? So many ways to enjoy the world around us... I'm just giddy at the thought of it all!

A Fond Farewell to 2011...

2012-01-02T17:23:00.004-05:00

New Years Eve came this year and as I read through friends' posts on Facebook, it seemed as if everyone was very dissatisfied with the year that had passed. I was amazed at how so many people were ready to write off the past 365 days and start with a clean slate-- as if it didn't happen and we didn't gain anything from this year of experiences. Although it had started to get me down, I simply couldn't let it-- I put down my phone and took a little break from social media (Gasp! I know.). I logged back on yesterday and my faith was restored by this little nugget of wisdom from a friend:

Don't allow a date to define a fresh start. Any day can provide a fresh start, just have courage and make it so.
--Anon. (i.e., I don't want to call him out on my blog!)

I couldn't agree more... why wait until a year has passed to make those changes?! Let's wake up and make each day count!

Now, 2011 wasn't perfect for me - there were definitely a few hiccups - but when I look back at the year I shared with family and friends, I couldn't be more grateful for the memories that we've created together. You've read many of the highlights, so I'm not going to do a play-by-play, but I will share this little gem with you...

No, this does not capture everything or everyone (I intentionally focused on just the three of us as I did not want feelings to be hurt if I included someone, but not another person!), I think you get the gist... we have wonderful life and I am so very grateful for everything in it.

Thank you for a wonderful 2011... I simply cannot wait to see what 2012 has in store for us!

Merry Merry!

2011-12-26T17:15:00.001-05:00

We just arrived home from spending Christmas Eve with Joe's family, Christmas morning at our house and Christmas afternoon/night at my parents' house in PA! It was definitely a little whirlwind of a weekend, but I'm so grateful that we were able to spend time with our families!

I'm too tired to even begin editing the photos from the weekend... Although I did get a head start on Christmas morning while I was waiting for Doodle to wake up. I got too antsy and actually went in and woke her up at 9 am. Yes, I'm probably the only parent who had to wake their kid up on Christmas morning! I digress...

Were you good this year?
Did Santa visit your house?
What was your favorite gift?!

Rudolph with your nose so bright...

2011-12-24T23:08:00.001-05:00

One adorable furry face... @iheartfaces

2011-12-12T16:27:00.002-05:00

Reindeer Antlers?! Seriously, Mom?!

This weekend I took family photos for a good friend who just got married in October... and while I love her dearly, I must admit that I was SO excited to see her puppy, Lola!

Lola was all smiles for me until the sweater and antlers came out. Much like my parents' dog, Finley, she froze up as soon as they dressed her up! I did manage to get some ones of her looking at me, but love this one... it's a face that you give someone to remind them that the only reason you're currently doing something you hate because you love them and want to make them happy! ;) Believe me, I know what I'm talking about on this one-- Mr Roars gives me this look all-the-freaking-time!

There's been a ton going on around here and I will eventually get to sharing some news (New Job Alert!), some new family photos courtesy of Lolli (waiting until the holiday cards are mailed for his one!), a little insight into my vacation routine (Hint: It includes daily doses of yoga and pilates!), and some good ole' catching up with Doodle (Did you see her reaction when she saw her new bed?! Check it out).

And now I must sign off as my own puppies are pawing at the door and whining as loud as they can to remind me that they need to be fed (I didn't forget-- they're just hungry a bit earlier than usual!)!

Do you have pets?!

Do they get outfits for special occasions?!

What does Santa bring them?!

We even met Mrs C!

2011-12-10T22:16:00.001-05:00

Doodle and her cousin, Cliff, visited with Santa on Friday night... His first time ever and her first time that she didn't completely freak out! I think the fact that Mrs C was there may have helped a little!

While the "elf" was taking photos, Doodle chatted it up and politely asked for a dress and a princess for Christmas. I sure hope Santa takes care of those because they weren't on her parents' list! ;). She's talking in the photo... Which annoyed me at first, but then I realized that it's a good "snapshot in time" as she certainly is a chatty little girl!

Have you visited Santa this year?!
What did you ask for?!

Repeat the Sounding Joy...

2011-12-05T15:55:00.001-05:00

'Tis the season to be jolly and we're doing our best to uphold our part of the bargain this year! Last night we decorated our Christmas Tree...

I don't know how the tree-decorating process goes at your house, but here's what it looks like over here:

~Tree Selection: Joe and I discuss whether or not it's worth it to pull out the massive 8 foot tree out of the small storage room in the basement or the smaller 5 foot version. We've had the big tree the past few years, but opted for the smaller tree this year given Doodle's need to touch and try to pull apart ev-ery-thing.

~Ornament Selection: Although I'm quite traditional with my tree style (which consists of ornaments given to us and collected over the years), this year I wasn't willing to risk my beautiful Radko ornaments being touched and/or handled by a 2 year old. We decided to invest in some shatterproof ornaments that I won't care about if Doodle wants to play light saber near the tree. Thank goodness my Hubby is an angel and agreed to a super-girly pink and purple tree... topped with Sleeping Beauty, of course!

~Ribbon: Joe puts the ribbon on. He's a pro at this and I don't touch it.

~Ornaments: This is where it gets hairy. Approximately five minutes after I was reminded not to stifle my 2 year old's creativity by dictating where each ornament should go, I absentmindedly walked up to the tree and fixed a few ornament locations. Ouch. I'm blaming the Christmas-tree-perfectionist genes that I was born with, but I really did try. I thought I was doing really well until Joe went to put some filler ornaments on the tree and I moved his first one. Damn. I honestly tried SO very hard to be good. Let's just say I'm a work in progress!

~Photos: I had planned on changing my shirt and throwing on some make up to take a few photos in front of the tree, but that would have pushed Hubby's limits. So-- I set the timer a few times to get a shot of the three of us {hopefully} looking at the camera. During the second try, Sully jumped in so we decided to go for it and try for a photo of all of us... a feat not yet accomplished. Well, the stars aligned and here you have it-- our family photo in front of the tree!

What are your holiday traditions?

How do you decorate your tree/house!?

Oh So Thankful...

2011-11-24T11:27:00.001-05:00

While I won't list every friend and family member whom I'm thankful for (I'm terrified of accidentally missing someone), I hope you all know how much you mean to me (a lot!)! 2011 has brought many things to be thankful for (ahem, my nephew Cliff!) and I'll continue to be thankful far past the Turkey and Apple Pie this evening!

I'll leave you with a photo of these two, who brighten my world each and every day:

What, or whom, are you thankful for this year?!

Holiday Greetings...

2011-11-23T23:12:00.001-05:00

I know it's not yet Thanksgiving, but if I'm being honest here, I've conquered about a third of my holiday shopping already! I'm usually not that ahead of the game, but this year I got the urge to start a little early. It's thrown my usual routine out of whack... I usually tackle holiday cards before I even begin creating lists!

Over the past few years I've designed my own cards and tried to be a little "punny" with them... but I don't know that I'm feeling it this year. It's not for a lack of inspiration, rather I've found a site whose creations I truly adore... TinyPrints. I know many readers will have a simple reply, "Duh!" I know, I know. If you haven't yet worked with them, it's ridiculously easy!

I actually used Tiny Prints Greeting Cards last year for my last-minute Christmas cards-- I was able to have them sent directly to the recipient and marveled at how quickly they arrived! In fact, after being inspired by a mini-photo shoot with Doodle last January, our family received their Valentine greetings from there as well. Check out how cute they are...

I know, right!?

While I'll share a few of my favorite holiday designs, I'm keeping the official card under wraps... mainly because we're having photos taken by Lolli on Friday (I'm SO excited!!!) and I'll want to make sure they coordinate!

Here are some ones I adore...

There are so many directions to go with all of the great designs... and I simply won't know until we get our photos back!

Which is your favorite design?

Do you want a holiday card from LoveRoars?! Be sure to comment and/or email me your mailing address at LoveRoars@gmail.com.

Moving on up... to the big girl bed!

2011-11-21T16:25:00.001-05:00

Need we say more?! Two years and two months in a crib... now in her own bed! Where has the time gone?!

Autumn Splendor... i heart faces

2011-11-15T08:32:00.001-05:00

Meet Miss A, one of the sweetest and happiest babies I've ever known...

Isn't she gorgeous?! She's got the looks of her lovely Mama and the personality of her fun-loving Pops!

Miss A's parents are very good friends of ours who recently moved up the road (you know, I-95... up to NJ from MD). I've known her Daddy since I've known my Hubby and her Mama is one those awesome friends who you have text message conversations during the workday with, pretending that she's really just minutes away!

I had the pleasure of photographing Miss A when she was born... at the hospital within 12 hours of her birth... it was magical! She was a beautiful newborn and has grown into such a gorgeous baby! While living in MD she went to the same daycare as Doodle and is called "My Baby A" by our little one who is convinced that A actually belongs to her and the adults are just here to help her out! While we miss seeing them on a more frequent basis, it makes the days we spend together even sweeter-- like the morning we spent together at the pumpkin patch a few weeks ago!

While this wasn't a planned photo shoot, I couldn't resist snapping some photos of this sweetie... she inspires me!

Back From Vacation... and a Little Halloween! ;)

2011-11-01T09:51:00.000-04:00

This past week has been a photography whirlwind...

Joe and I had a wonderful little vacation in New Orleans! We walked around the French Quarter, explored antique shops, and ate a meal nearly every 4 hours (slight exaggeration, but we did eat three meals a day in fabulous restaurants)! I tried my hand at taking photos of food, but quickly realized that I'm definitely sticking to portraits... food just doesn't speak to me in that way. When I layed my eyes on those gorgeous beignets, taking a photo was the last thing I was thinking of (it was more like, "Get in my belly!").

My dear friend Vycki got married on Saturday in Biloxi! I had my camera, but was slightly too busy (I was a 'maid!) and slightly too emotional over the whole thing to be able to take a step back and focus on the photos. As Joe often reminds me to do, instead of photographing it, I was living in the moment. I argue that I can do both, but still... it was a gorgeous day and I get all warm and fuzzy inside just thinking about it!

More on those two events in another post... I'm still digesting it all!

Last night was Halloween (duh!)! Because we live in a community of townhouses, we have hosted Halloween/Trick-or-Treating the last few years. Given that the "babies" are only two, we didn't make them run a trick-or-treat marathon-- just up and down our block. It's not like they'll get to eat most of the candy, anyway! ;) Grandma Nancy and Pop pop came over to spend the evening with Doodle and Mason... We had a fun night in and stuffed ourselves with a big pasta dinner while D & M played with D's toys. Again, I have tons of photos that I'm still trying to wrap my head around! ;)

For now, here is a little storyboard of Doodle's Halloween history...

2009 - 7 Weeks Old at the Caps Game Dressed Up as Slapshot's Sidekick, "Wristshot"
2010 - Nearly 14 Months Old as a Little Piggy
2011 - 2 Years Old (or nearly 26 months old) as "Seeping Booty"

Putting Up My "Out of Office" #WordlessWednesday

2011-10-25T23:21:00.001-04:00

I'll be spending the next few days stuffing my face with beignets at Cafe Du Monde before celebrating a dear friend's wedding this weekend! See you next week!

Let Them Be Little... iheartfaces

2011-10-24T08:30:00.003-04:00

We were hanging out at Butler's Orchard with some family on Saturday and my nephew grabbed a wooden stick and decided to "play it" while he danced with his cousin to some live bluegrass. Not being his parent, I was able to giggle with my hubby and smile with grandparents as we appreciated his creativity and excitement. His parents were not so thrilled that there was a dirty stick in his mouth... this is when we (more-or-less... in different words) said "Let them be little!"

There are a lot of those moments around these parts: Doodle stalls bedtime by staging an imaginary pizza party on our bed... She grabs a princess doll (we now have a "few") and swings it around as she dances like Belle & the Beast in the famous ballroom scene... Puppies are adorned with princess tiaras... Doodle lays across the top of the couch and watches the Caps game "like Ariel"... luckily most of those moments make us smile, want to pinch her little cheeks, and bottle up all of her cuteness!

But... When you have a 2 year old, there are some times when you get frustrated with them (like the Sharpie incident) and you just have to take a breather and remind yourself that Magic Erasers and cleaning products were created for a reason, she's just two years old and figuring out the world (and what can't be drawn on), and you need to "let her be little!"

Can She Really Have Grown Up This Much?! #WordlessWednesday

2011-10-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

Although "Speechless Wednesday" doesn't have the same ring to it, it's definitely how I'm feeling about these photos... Can a year really make this much of a difference?! I no longer have a baby, she's definitely a kid!

And yes, she's an Ugg girl! Her Aunt Lisa gave her a pair for her 1st birthday last year and Grandma brought back a pair from Tahoe a few weeks ago... She doesn't know how good she has it! ;)

We tracked our growth on the basement door at my parent's house (my notches never moved up much!)... and clearly I'm taking the phototographer's route with documenting Doodle's growth...

How do you measure your children's growth year-by-year?

Pink is my favorite color... iheartfaces

2011-10-18T06:56:00.003-04:00

It's not just a song lyric. It's the truth. I adore the color pink. I also adore this baby girl.

I also adore this photograph! It's my favorite newborn photo to date (and I don't forsee it ever changing) and although other photographers may "perfect" it in photoshop, I love the untouched beauty of a two-week-old baby girl snuggled up in her first "Lilly (Pulitzer)."

If I were to ever get my act together and have photos printed on canvases (is this a photographer thing, or just me!?), this would be at the top of my list.

What photos do you have enlarged and displayed around your house? What photos are still waiting to be printed?

Did you know that today is World Arthritis Day?!

2011-10-12T13:32:00.001-04:00

Can't you just picture all of the grannies slowly walking down the street kvetching about their aching knees?! That used to be my image of arthritis. Until I was diagnosed with RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis). At age 24.

Yep, I'm a statistic... and not one that I'd choose to be. I've had the last five years to cope with it and now rarely talk about it because there are far more interesting (and fun!) things about me that I'd like folks to focus on. BUT- Once someone finds out you have a chronic disease, your friends and family are concerned about it (having a great support system is fabulous!) and tend to focus on talking about it every time you see them. I certainly don't mind chatting about it... heck, I'm blogging about it... but I'm more than the RA and on days when I feel great, it's the last thing that I want to be reminded about. I understand that it's a fine line and I'm glad that my friends and family err on the side of asking about it because I know they care. My MO is usually, "I'll tell you if I'm hurting."

Here's the deal... Rheumatoid Arthritis, or RA, is an inflammatory arthritis and an auto immune disease that can't be cured. Basically, my immune system is a little too jumpy and instead of just protecting my body by attacking foreign cells (think viruses and bacteria), it goes batshit crazy and attacks it's own tissues! The tissue that it usually attacks happens to be a thin membrane that lines the joints (called the synovium) and results in build up of fluid in my joints that causes some nasty pain. Although it can't be cured, it's not something that will kill me... just something that I'm stuck living with and have to manage (like taxes).

RA is unlike Osteoarthritis as "osteo" is the breakdown of cartilage that results in bones rubbing against each other... when you see ads the advertise glucosamine for arthritis, this is the type that helps (sadly, it does squat for RA). I'm sure it's equally as painful and I'm happy that I don't have the double whammy.

Here's the skinny on my RA... it sucks. Each person is different, but medicines, like Enbrel (a weekly injection) and ibuprofen, work wonders for me and usually need just that to feel good. When I'm flaring I have to be reunited with my arch enemy named prednisone that makes my joints feel great, but makes me puff up, gain weight and totally messes with me (think depression and a little crazy... sadly, my hubby can vouch for this one).

I got super lucky when I was pregnant with Doodle because it went into remission and I felt fabulous... if it wasn't for this major flare that I've been in for 2+ months and the pain I'm in trying to keep up with a 2 year old, I'd be crawling all over the Mister trying to get pregnant again. Hold up-- Let's take a second to clarify this one... I'm not pregnant and it's not happening for a while. Let's focus on the RA here...

There is a treatment in Phase 3 Clinical Trials that I'll be lining up to get once it's approved and on the market... a 2x day pill that's rumored to work as well as injectibles! Even if my job didn't revolve around protecting innovation, the impact it makes on my life as a patient is enough for me to shout it from the rooftops... Isn't medical innovation amazing?!

Anyway, back to the point... today is World Arthritis Day and I felt slightly obligated to speak up and give you the Cliff's Notes version of my story. Arthritis.org is a great resource if you want to learn more and if you're one of my sisters, check out the AOII Foundation which supports arthritis research (see, that darn jingle bell walk does actually - although very indirectly - help one of "us."). No donations or further actions required... reading this is enough for me...

Celebrating Six Years with a Win! #WordlessWednesday

2011-10-12T00:30:00.000-04:00

Can you believe that it's been six years since we got married?! I have a hard time trying to find where all of the time went... let alone the Caps game photos from 2005-2007 that I wanted to include!

We try to celebrate our anniversary at a Caps game every year... the home opener is always within a week of the date (October 8th) and this was the first time it fell on our actual anniversary!

Doodle had a great time with Nancy and Pop Pop while we dined at Asia Nine and spent the rest of the evening rocking the red!

Happy Anniversary, Sweetie!

I know that this may be a slightly nontraditional way to spend a wedding anniversary, but it works for us... what do you do to celebrate?!

"Raise Your Hand" if You're a Princess...

2011-10-11T13:06:00.003-04:00

Yes, my 2 year old has perfected the princess wave... and just in time to put it on display at the Maryland Renaissance Festival this past weekend! Given this girl's ~~slight~~ obsession with princesses, her Daddy had the great idea of taking her out to the festival so she can see the horseys, a good ole' joust (the state sport of Maryland, of course!), and princesses galore!

Our hour-long trek turned into a three-hour wait in traffic as everyone else in the flipping state had the same idea... Sunday was a gorgeous day and we all wanted to take advantage of it. Luckily, our newly potty-trained daughter "held it" for the entire drive (3 hours!!) and we were able to get to the privies before an accident occurred-- a small miracle, indeed.

Had the festival not been packed to the brim with commoners like us, I think Doodle may have had a better time... there were too many people rushing around to really let her roam and there wasn't even a chance of getting a seat in one of the theaters around the place. The actors were bombarded by the crowds so it wasn't even possible for Doodle to get an audience with his and her majesties.

We did manage to sneak up behind the last row of seats for the joust and held Doodle so she could see... she was enthralled with it and seeing her little "Ooh!" and "Aah!" made it all worth the trip! While she wanted nothing to do with Daddy's turkey leg, we did manage to grab a few snacks and play with some fancy bubbles before we left!

I'd highly recommend the festival... just perhaps on a less crowded day (if it exists)!

Have you been to a renaissance festival?! Did you love it!?

Guess what we are concentrating on this weekend?!

2011-09-30T19:27:00.001-04:00

Yep, picking out Halloween costumes is serious business!

Oh, and we're attempting to potty train too! Let's see how this goes...

Doodle's 1st Movie Experience

2011-09-28T07:55:00.003-04:00

Free Afternoon + Rainy Day = Lion King!

She was so excited to sit in the big chair all by herself (even if we had to hold it down from collapsing because she's not heavy enough to do it!) and loved the huge bag of popcorn.

In true Doodle-form, she did scream "Princess Castle!!!" in the beginning of the movie when they show Cinderella's Castle/Disney logo... luckily the theater wasn't too crowded and we could giggle about it!

I can't say that she was totally hooked on the movie, though. She did enjoy seeing all of the animals, but the novelty wore off after a while and I think she was waiting for a princess to emerge. ;) Aside from a potty break about half way through the movie (hey, she leaned over and told me she had to go and held it until we got to the ladies room!), she was pretty good until the last ten minutes. She got a little fidgety and wanted to run across the aisle (had she not been wearing her Twinkle Toes sneaks that flashed lights and sparkles all over a dark theater, I wouldn't have cared as much!) and officially ditched the movie with 60 seconds to go!

All-in-all, I'd say it was pretty successful!

What was your child's first movie in the theater?!

How did they do?!

She Pulled an ABC...

2011-09-26T09:28:00.000-04:00

I remember going to GMom and GPa's house one day (we actually went there many times... bonus of growing up 5 minutes from your grandparents!) and pulled out GMom and GPa's wedding album. As long as I can remember, there's always been my GMom's bridal portrait hanging up in all of it's glory... think Grace Kelly in a totally gorgeous Priscilla of Boston gown and you're right on target. In truth, Grace Kelly doesn't have much on her. She was stunning (still is, by the way!). I've always loved her gown, but when it came time to get married it didn't work-- I'm not going to lie, I was bummed. But I digress. Back to the album...

I remember pulling out the album and seeing how young and cute my GPa was (my brother looks just like him!) and checking out all of my Great Aunts and Uncles decked out for the wedding! There was one thing that was slightly odd about this gorgeous wedding album... it had green crayon all over it. I can't remember if I asked what happened or eventually found out, but it turned out that my Aunt ABC had mistaken it for a coloring book when she was younger. I can only imagine the berating she got at the time and made a mental note to keep crayons away from photo albums when I had kids.

As you can see from previous posts, Doodle definitely has an artistic flair. A few weeks ago I was ~~bragging~~ chatting with a coworker about how much she loves to color and is generally good about keeping the crayon on the paper and not all over the house. Luckily, she didn't {exactly} make a liar out of me...

She used a Sharpie!

I was helping my friend out with her Brother's wedding when I got this photo via text message:

Before we go any further with this story, let me clear up a few things...

A) Yes, she was alone with her Daddy when this happened, but it would have still happened if I was home. She plays quietly by herself all the time and her MO is going out the dog door when she's feeling mischievous (and we hear the click of the dog door when she goes through so we know when to get her), so this possibility would not have entered my mind. Silly parents, Trix are for kids.

B) The only time she's colored on an inappropriate surface (besides missing the paper and going onto the table) was one swipe of a crayon across the back of the couch-- months ago --so I wouldn't have seen this coming.

C) I have no idea where the Sharpie came from... no open purses nearby and she can't reach my pen jar on my desk (I'm confident that she would have gone for the pink Sharpie if given the option)!

BUT... She did it. Sharpie. all. over. the. kitchen.

Daddy managed to get it off of the floor and the glass of the stove. He googled his dilemma and yesterday we tried non-gel toothpaste on one spot-- it didn't work so well. I'll pick up some Goof Off today and we'll try that tonight.

This Mama needs your help!...

Any recommendations on how to get Sharpie out of my gorgeous kitchen cabinets and oven?

P.S. I still love my sweet and innocent Sharpie... Unless I'm writing on really thin paper, I nearly always use a Sharpie. Through my ~~obsession~~ collection alone, I probably keep them in business! I just need to make sure I keep them in a more secure place from now on!

P.P.S. What have your kids gotten into? My friend's kids did the same with diaper cream and vapor rub...
P.P.S.S. I'm really not angry with her and am chalking this up to one of those parental rites of passage... it could have been a lot worse and at least she was trying to make the house a prettier place with her artwork! :)

UPDATE: The Magic Eraser worked on the cabinets!! {Woo Hoo!}

Toddler Houdini?

2011-09-25T18:48:00.002-04:00

Dagny still can't open the baby gate, but that didn't stop her from going upstairs...

P.S. You can just go ahead and ignore her whining and the laundry on the stairs...;)