"Happy to you, Momma"

This evening, after all the lights were out, Daddy ran to make a quick grocery store run. I was resting on the couch, singing "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star" with a sleepy Adeleigh on my lap. We were winding down from a busy, fun day with family. I looked down at her in the dark to see if she was sleeping. She peeked up at me, smiled and said, "Happy to you, Momma."

Now, I don't know if she was remembering having sung the Birthday song to her cousin & Grandpa earlier in the day. I don't know if Daddy whispered a reminder to her before he left. I don't know if she just somehow knew that when she wakes up in the morning, it will be her Momma's birthday. 

But, it was special nonetheless. 

I gave her a hug and we snuggled a little tighter. 

After a few minutes of quiet in the dark, I peeked back down at Adeleigh to see if she was sleeping. She looked up at me...................................Then, she started growling. She reached her chubby little fingers up and pinched my cheek. "Happy to you, Momma. Grrrrrrr." She pinched it again.

So, I don't know if my little girl thought she turned into a zombie for a few minutes and she was testing me for quality. I don't know if she thought I needed a little bit of rouge on my cheeks. I don't know if she knew her own strength and that it actually stung a little bit. 

But, it was special nonetheless.

She was the best belated-birthday gift I ever received.

Adeleigh vs. United Flight 349

As we prepared for Adeleigh's first flight, we sought as much advice from experienced parents as we could. We gave ourselves plenty of time, parked as close to the airport as possible and crossed our fingers that our sweet little girl would stay her sweet little self the entire trip to Florida. Then, we entered through the airport doors.

Meltdown (noun): the melting of a significant portion of a nuclear-reactor core due to inadequate cooling of the fuel elements, a condition that could lead to the escape of radiation

.

Source: Dictionary.com

For a few minutes, I thought they would evacuate DIA because of the explosively large amount of radiation that was beginning to loom around our family.
After we checked-in, we had to use the restroom. Phaeton went first. While inside, he could hear the toddler-fueled screams that I was desperately attempting to cool off. Adeleigh was writhing, hitting, throwing my glasses to the ground. Everyone passing by stared, mouths dropped, and walked in a perfect circle, approximately 50 feet in diameter around us, as she tried to escape me and run away to IcelandAir. Phaeton came out to find a wailing Adeleigh, refusing to be held, squirming on the ground, while I stood above her trying to soothe her and convince her that there was nothing for her in Iceland.
It was his turn to try.
As I walked into the restroom, I had to fight back the tears. I felt helpless. This was so out-of-character for Adeleigh and I knew it was our fault. She was overstimulated already, and in a new environment. And I found myself panicking, dreading the next 4+ hours, wondering how we would manage this one. Then, I rushed out to help Phaeton, thankful we were in this together. We were able to distract her long enough to get through Security and onto the train in peace. Then, we approached our gate just as they were starting to board.

Unfortunately for us, the moment where you decide to teach your child about patience and waiting your turn in line, shouldn't be at the airport. Also unfortunately for us, the moment you decide to heed your friend's advice and buy suckers for your little one's flight, should also not be at the airport.

With less than five minutes to board the plane, I left a radioactive toddler with my husband in line, and scrammed into three different stores to try and find suckers. Then, a lady pointed me to the Candy Shoppe, an obvious site for suckers, right? Not at DIA. All they had were the huge rainbow lollipops you see in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, and See's chocolate/vanilla/espresso suckers. I bought a rainbow one and a chocolate See's sucker. Then, despite the fleeting thought that I would "accidentally" miss this flight and meet my family in Tampa, I rejoined the nuclear-reactor core a.k.a. Adeleigh.

We boarded the plane - the middle of the plane. When all of the people who surrounded us, paid hundreds of dollars for a nice, relaxing 3 1/2 hour flight across the country, they really had no idea what they were getting themselves into....

The first hour was perfect. Adeleigh did great during take-off. In fact, she helped calm me and my flying nerves. I gave her the chocolate sucker and within 5 minutes, Adeleigh and the entire space occupying 22 D, E & F had a thick layer of sticky, brown goo coating it. Then, when electronics could be turned back on, we pulled out the laptop and an Elmo DVD. That lasted for a few minutes, until she started ferociously banging on the keyboard. She managed to turn the volume up to the maximum setting during a scene where Elmo and all of his friends ferociously banged their cymbals together. How embarrassingly perfect that was. So, we shut it off.
Next, she made friends with the mother that was sitting behind us and somehow managed to acquire an entire bag of Chex Mix and Pretzel M&M's one mouthful at a time. (Don't worry: We bought the mother and her children some to replenish their supply.)
Then, she sweet-talked the Flight Attendants into letting her roam about the cabin when the "fasten seat belt" sign was turned off. She made friends with the entire back-half of the airplane and showed everyone her new pink shoes.
Then, the "fasten seat belt" sign was illuminated and everyone was instructed to return to their seats as soon as possible. We walked Adeleigh back to our chocolate sucker-covered row and tried to buckle her back into her seat.

Not happenin', Mom & Dad. Not after I just made 30 new friends that really like my shoes.

You remember that nuclear-reactor core meltdown that happened all throughout DIA earlier? Take that, but confine it to a 2-foot by 4-foot space in Row 22 D, E & F of an Airbus 319, 30,000 feet in the air.
Completely. And utterly. Catastrophic.

......

Still going.....

.......

Not done yet.....

.......

Then, we tried the rainbow lollipop. She hucked it directly onto the dirty floor.

.......

Here we go again.....

.......

.......

Approximately one hour later -

She fell asleep on the floor, underneath the chair in front of her own.

Immediately following the mid-air nuclear meltdown, everything on the plane went silent.
Then, Phaeton and I began celebrating our survival. We laughed. We cried. We hugged. We whispered to each other all of the things we wanted to accomplish together, now that we were given a second chance at life - so long as none of them required boarding an aircraft.
And even though the "fasten seat belt" sign stayed on for the remainder of the flight, Adeleigh's 30 new friends, plus everyone else on the plane, were smart enough to keep their mouths shut and let the youngest member of United Flight 349 do whatever, the hell, she wanted.

Beach Baby

For Adeleigh's first time to the beach, we felt it only appropriate to capture our memories by destroying our camera in the Gulf of Mexico. We felt it equally appropriate to destroy our back-up camera (a.k.a. Phaeton's phone) in the water too. Lucky for us, we had a back-up to the back-up. And you had better believe, we weren't leaving St. Pete Beach without photo proof.

More stories are to come of Adeleigh's first flight...

Hey, Stranger

We're convinced that Adeleigh will someday be the Mayor of Fort Collins. Every time we leave the house, she makes it her mission to greet, hug and converse with every single stranger, and animal that we pass. 

We went out for dinner at El Monte the other evening and ten minutes after sitting down, Adeleigh decided there would be no more sitting. So, Nana took her outside to run around for a few minutes. When they came back inside, Adeleigh was ready to make some friends. She started out by walking up to the table behind us where two little boys sat with their parents. They were a nice family, but they were busy eating instead of socializing, so she quickly moved on. 

At a booth nearby, sat a couple without their food. To a toddler, this is perfect friend-making material - No prior commitments. Free to give their undivided attention. She walked right over to their booth and smiled at the pretty lady and her husband. The lady said, "Well, hello, happy girl!" which translates into "Come sit next to me!" because that is just what Adeleigh did. I hurried and stood up to make sure Adeleigh wasn't being too forthcoming. 

Me - "I'm sorry. She's not shy at all."

The lady and her husband - "Oh my gosh. This is just too cute. What's her name? How old is she? Is she always this happy?"

I answered, introduced myself and we all officially met.

Then the lady, Tiffany pulled out her iPhone to show Adeleigh pictures of her dog and horse. Adeleigh started flipping through her photos like a pro. Tiffany asked her, "Do you want to play with my phone?" 

Me - "Just to warn you, she won't want to give it back."

Tiffany - "Oh, she can play with it all night. I don't mind. I just can't believe she knows how to flip through the photos!"

Before Tiffany could finish her statement, Adeleigh had her phone in hand and was off to share it with the rest of the town.

She walked up to an older couple at the next table, pulled herself up into their booth, and sat down with Tiffany's phone.

Adeleigh - "See? A puppy."

Gentleman - "Oh wow! Is that your puppy?"

Adeleigh - "No.........See? A horse?"

I walked a few feet over to go apologize and see if she was bothering them. They said, "Oh, don't even worry. She's such a social butterfly!"

I stood there, chatting with Tiffany and her husband, Yurane, while Adeleigh went back and forth between her four new buddies. Yurane said, "You realize that when she's fourteen, and you tell her about the time she went to sit in a stranger's booth, she's not going to believe you, right?" 

I laughed. 

Then, I told them a story ------

Recently, in Old Town Square, we were all sitting and splashing our toes in the fountain. Across the plaza, sat a family with an empty stroller, watching their toddler play at Bear/Fish Park. All of a sudden, Adeleigh bolted from where we were sitting. She ran across the plaza, bottle in hand, elbows out like a mini-football player, and landed in the empty stroller. Phaeton and I ran after her, embarrassed and laughing. As we approached, I started apologizing to the dad. I could tell that he was trying to figure out who this little girl was and where she came from. 

Me - "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry.....Adeleigh, let's go, sweetie. That's not our stroller."

He smiled and said, "Oh, she's fine. I don't mind."

We all waited awkwardly, thinking Adeleigh would get her fix and jump out to resume playing at any minute.

But she didn't. She would get down for a brief moment, then jump back in and get comfortable. She was perfectly happy staying put.

Then the dad laughed, "Well, I guess we're her family now!" 

Here's a picture of Adeleigh with her new family -

________

Tiffany and Yurane laughed and gave Adeleigh high-fives for her initiative. Then, their food arrived. Adeleigh, feeling completely comfortable with her new friends, reached out to grab Tiffany's salmon off her plate. I stopped her. "Okay, Adeleigh. Let's let them eat. Tell them thank you." Adeleigh generously gave back Tiffany's phone and we said our goodbye's. 

Then, before she would allow us to leave, Adeleigh decided she had to say goodbye to every single person in the restaurant. 

And she did. 

And every single person said it back with a smile.

_____________

She'd make a cute Mayor.

Toddler victory

The other night, I went against Daddy's wishes and let Adeleigh eat her yogurt sans highchair, sans bib, and in front of the TV.
Phaeton - "You know that yogurt is about to get all over the carpet, right?"
Me - "Yeah, I'll clean it up when it does."
Three minutes later, Phaeton jumped up from the couch as we watched in slow motion - - - - - -
Adeleigh scooped up the majority of contents in her bowl and as she slowly brought the heaping spoon up to her mouth, the cats on the Meow Mix commercial started singing, instinctively forcing Adeleigh's head to turn to watch.....Adeleigh's peach yogurt was not just all over the carpet, but strategically spread across her feet and her chubby little belly. Phaeton wasn't fast enough.

Adeleigh - 1; Daddy - 0

Adeleigh said, "Uh, oh!" and looked down.
I started giggling.
Phaeton leaped to grab the paper towels, bent down beside her and started scooping up the yogurt.
Phaeton - "So, you'll clean it up?"
Me - "You beat me to it."
Phaeton - "I'm going to have to shampoo the carpet again." (Disclaimer: Phaeton had already spot-shampooed our carpet three times in the last three days - 1 milk spill, 1 red wine spill, and 1 really big red wine spill.)
Me - "Nah. Don't pull out the shampooer. Water will do it."
Phaeton - "It's milk, Honey. It'll stink if I don't shampoo the carpet."
Me - "Oh come on. A little bit of yogurt is going to be the last thing that makes our carpet stink." (Referring to Rico & Nubi here...)
Phaeton - grumbling indistinctly while wiping the carpet
What happened next was textbook for toddler victory-
Adeleigh, spoon in hand, scooped the remaining yogurt from her bowl and slopped it against the side of her Daddy's face.
My mouth dropped.
Phaeton calmly stood up and went to go be alone for a few minutes.

Adeleigh - 2; Daddy - 0

Phaeton came back all cleaned up. Adeleigh apologized and gave him a big hug. I promised to never let Adeleigh eat yogurt without her highchair and bib again. And then we busted out laughing at how that scene couldn't have played out more perfectly.

Oh, and then Phaeton shampooed the carpet.

Our little trouble maker

Mike Tyson Butterfly

A few weekends ago, we met up with Chad, Shay & Avery at the Pateros Creek Brewery & Waffle Lab benefit for the High Park Fire. The Waffle Lab line was approximately 2.5 hours long. I didn't care how long we had to wait in line because I knew a gluten-free waffle (which I had been craving for weeks) was waiting for my hungry belly at the other end. Plus, I had a delicious beverage which reminds me of a gluten-free version of Sunshine keeping me company the entire time :)

So, for the first half-hour, I chased Adeleigh around. For the 2nd half-hour, Phaeton chased her. For the remaining time, Melody with Best Face Painter, painted our child and kept her entertained.

.....so serious.....

She got a "Mike Tyson Butterfly" (as Phaeton calls it) and after Adeleigh strongly encouraged Melody to keep painting, an arm heart.

Instead of just looking down at her body art, she wanted to look at it through Melody's mirror.

Yes, the 2.5 hour wait in line was worth it. Not just for the delicious waffle. Not just to have found possible inspiration for a little girl's birthday party. Not just to have spent time with good friends. But to have contributed to an event that raised over $7000 for the Fire Relief. Well worth the wait.

This community is awesome.

~~~~~

The next weekend, we were in Old Town with Chris, Christy & Ella. Adeleigh spotted someone in the Square and high-tailed it directly onto her chair.

...so serious...

Ella patiently waited her turn while Adeleigh strongly encouraged Melody to keep painting.

Everyone patiently waited while Adeleigh looked in the mirror for a few more minutes...

I don't have a picture, but after this, Adeleigh ate all of my Ben & Jerry's icecream. 

She's not spoiled.

~~~~

Melody goes to Old Town most summer weekends, sets up shop, paints kid's faces, paints kid's arms that won't leave her alone, loans out her mirror, and smiles the entire time. Plus, she does it all for free.

She really is awesome.

And if I haven't said it enough, so is this town.

A Break from our Annual Phobic Fourth

This is the first 4th of July since Rico's birth eight years ago, that he won't be hiding in the bathroom for the next two days. This is the first 4th of July in eight years that we won't have to think of creative ways to lure him outside for a tinkle. We're hoping so, at least. They've banned fireworks this year, and we hope for many reasons, that our neighbors respect that. We hope they show respect for our vulnerable, scorched earth most importantly, but also that they show a little respect for our aging dog's bladder.

There are two things Rico's afraid of - baths and loud noises. We find it ironic that when he hears any loud noise, he curls up in a ball next to the bathtub. Keep in mind, when I say 'loud noises' I'm referring to - fireworks, thunder, garbage trucks, smoke alarms, hail, screaming babies, baseball bats hitting fly balls, the Hulu jingle at the end of any episode we watch, slamming doors, airplanes flying overhead, and driving over cattle guards on mountain roads - but for the sake of Rico's dignity, we'll just throw all of that into one 'thing to be afraid of.'

It's funny what we choose to be afraid of. Growing up I, like Rico, was pretty much afraid of everything. Around the holidays, I would sit on the stairs for hours staring at our real Christmas tree, making sure that it wouldn't erupt into flames from a faulty bulb. One of the happiest days of my life was the day my parents bought a fake tree. That was one less hazard for me to worry about.
Anytime it was thundering, I would patrol the house and make sure that no one was near any windows or electrical devices. If they were, I would remind them of their increased odds of being struck by lightning and pester them until they gave into my persistent pleas.
Anytime I heard any unusual footsteps, I was sure to report to the 9-1-1 dispatcher that there was an intruder in our home, even if it was just my Mom. On the occasion where I didn't call 9-1-1, I was sure to lock myself in my parent's room armed with hairspray and a razor. Then, when Mom or Dad came looking for me, I'd make them inspect every corner of the house before exiting.
I was an odd one. It's kind of a miracle I found a husband. I could go on and on about my childhood fears, but for the sake of my own dignity, I'll move on.

I just asked Phaeton what his fears were as a child. "Spiders" he said. Then he told me a horrifying story of a time when his Mom sprayed a black widow with ammonia and the spider came screaming, flying with eight knives towards his face. With a fear like that, it's kind of a miracle that he found me. Because one of my criteria in choosing a husband was marrying someone that would willingly eliminate any spider at my beck-and-call. So now, anytime we find an eight-legged creature, other than just screaming at the top of our lungs, one of us needs to get our act together and just grab a shoe. For the sake of Phaeton's dignity, I'll inform you that 100% of the time, it's his shoe.

We just learned one of Adeleigh's fears the other night. Phaeton had to print something for work and while the printer fed the paper through, Adeleigh came strolling into the room with her doll. She immediately stopped, looked over hesitantly toward the printer's face, dropped her doll, then slowly started backing away while yelling out "Mommy! Mommy!" I knelt down beside her and she curled up in a ball on my lap and clutched onto me tightly. Then, when Phaeton grabbed his paper and turned the beast off, Adeleigh made sure everything was quiet, relaxed her grip, and went on her happy way.

She's not afraid of strangers. She's not afraid of bugs. She's not afraid of lightning, or thunder. She loves Christmas trees. She's not afraid of loud noises or baths. She's not afraid of climbing onto high surfaces. She's not afraid of falling. She's not afraid of the dark. She's not afraid of Barney. But, put her in front of a wheezing, one-eyed, paper-eating, paper-bruising printing machine -
Absolutely. Terrifying.

~~~~

Taken last Halloween -
This is Adeleigh not afraid to go say "Hi" to Bill on one of his not-so-good days -

The chores can wait

This evening after work, I pulled a bed sheet out of the closet, intending to use it on the bed. Then, Adeleigh grabbed the sheet out of my hands, reminding me that instead of doing chores, I needed to immediately partake in playtime. She grabbed one side of the sheet, threw it up in the air and in her baby talk lingo that only her Daddy and I seem to understand, told us both to do the same. We held either end of the sheet and started throwing the bed sheet up in the air. Then as it ballooned toward the ground, Phaeton and I would run underneath. We did it a few more times until she caught on and started doing the same. Then, we'd huddle under the sheet as a family, making sure that no light got in, and then we'd giggle. Even the dog found joy in this for a little while. The best part was while us girls hid from the boys underneath. As she and I ran to meet in the middle, Adeleigh looked up at me, with the biggest smile in her eyes and said in her sweet little voice, "It's fun!" Then, while we sat under the sheet which was blanketed on top of us, she crawled over onto my lap and gave me not one, but two kisses, right on the lips. Then, she bounded up and screamed in laughter as her Daddy tickled her from the outside.

~~~

As we get ready for sleep, the sheet still lays on the ground beside the undressed bed. And even though it's late, and I'm exhausted, I'm glad that I didn't make the bed when I intended to. Because that spontaneous playtime, and those kisses, and seeing the joy on Adeleigh's face, was the best part of my day. And I love that everyday, that little girl that's sleeping in the next room, reminds me of what's most important. She reminds me that the cleaning, the bed-making, the chores, the getting online - they can all wait. But my time with her, which is already passing by so fast, shouldn't have to wait for the bed to be made. Not when she's changing so quickly and adorably.

So, when life gives you an over-sized, neatly folded, slightly faded, clean bed sheet - and before you make your bed with it - look underneath with your little one. It could be really fun :)

Daddy

Just read a blog post about all the wonderful things we hope our partners will do with our children someday. So sweet. Gives me the warm and fuzzies. You can read it here.

It makes me want to share a few of the things (and there are many) that make Phaeton such a wonderful father.

I love that he picks her up from daycare, on time, everyday, even when his work isn't finished.
I love that he splits taking time-off from work with me when Adeleigh gets sick.
I love that when I can't figure out what she needs, he can.
I love that he encouraged her to walk up our 2 flights of stairs instead of being carried, even when I didn't think she was ready.
I love that he made me promise that when Adeleigh is in the car with me, I won't talk on my cell phone.
I love that he gets up to calm Adeleigh back to sleep in the middle of the night. I love that he's a light sleeper.
I love that he feels comfortable taking her grocery shopping, even when I don't.
I love that even after a long day of work, he somehow manages to cook dinner while entertaining the Little One, before I even get home.
I love that when we don't have a babysitter, and our friends are going out, he tells me that he'll stay home and watch Adeleigh and that I should go out "because you deserve it." I love that he went out with them last night. Because he deserved to.
I love that at the end of a long day, after Adeleigh is down to bed, he either pours me a glass of wine or gets me a bowl of icecream. Sometimes both.
I love that he's bookmarked her favorite Sesame Street episodes.
I love that he can get her to do things I can't.
I love that when he walks into a room, Adeleigh yells "Daddy! Daddy!" and gives him a big hug.
I love that he talks about having more babies someday.
I love that he lets Adeleigh play with and teaches her about bugs when I'm not around.
I love that he makes her giggle the loudest I've ever heard.
I love that he talks about helping her with her Math homework someday.
I love that he lets me get as many Adeleigh snuggles as I need before she lays down to sleep, even if it means I'm hogging the baby.
I love that he tells me I'm a good Mom. It's something I like to hear every once in awhile.

I love that every day, he tells her that he loves her.



He's a good Dad.

Happy Father's Day, Phaeton. You give me the warm and fuzzies.

Tonight, I am grateful

I'm sitting here, having just turned off the news, listening to both my husband and dog snoring - loudly. It sounds a little bit like a freight train in here. But I don't have the heart to nudge them to stop. Because at least they are sleeping soundly, and peacefully. I wish that was the case for more people in our community tonight. But so many people who live just a few miles to the west and north of our home are probably having a difficult time falling, or staying asleep. So many of them aren't even sleeping on their pillows, or in their own beds tonight. Many of them don't yet know if, or when, they'll even have a home to go back to sleep in.

It's hard not to be consumed in all of the media coverage of the High Park Fire, burning about 15 miles west of town. It's just so sad. Hearing the stories of people who have lost their homes, all of their belongings, their animals - the stories of people who don't know if they'll even have a home to go back to. Hearing that so far one life has been lost, and that many other residents are refusing to leave. It's hard hearing that with such an unpredictable path of destruction, it might take weeks until it's under control. Who knows the damage it will cause by then? It's hard breathing in the fumes, and even worse, seeing our beautiful skies flooded with ash and smoke. It's hard to think that when all of the brave people fighting the fire have put out the flames, when all of the news cameras are gone, what our beautiful landscape is going to look like....
These are places we've all been to - Trails we've hiked - Roads we've traveled while Adeleigh naps in the car - Neighborhoods we've visited and dreamed we would someday live. These are people who we all might know - People who we work with - Professors we've had - People that sit out on our favorite patios at our favorite restaurants in Old Town - People who play at the same Splash Park and get ice cream at Walrus when they're all done. These are our neighbors. And while we might not know each of them by name, this is our community. And it's hard to watch a part of your community go up in flames.

I remember when I was considering getting my undergrad here. I made the solo drive to meet with an advisor and tour the CSU campus. I'll never forget the moment I pulled up to the Administration building. I stepped out of my car and it smelled like flowers! Really really sweet, good-smelling flowers. It was the moment I look back on, when I realized that this was where I belonged. And I can guarantee that it wasn't just because I'd been living in Greeley for the previous year and had grown used to the smells of that city. Even after over nine years of living here, I still think it smells like flowers. I've always said that Fort Collins is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I love the people, the culture, the sense of community, the small-town feel. When Phaeton and I have talked about other places we'd like to live, our conversations always lead to how we know we'll both grow old here. Then our discussion ends because this wonderful, charming town is our home. And we love it here.
So, while our place here is small, and crowded, and gets messy really easily - and even though there's a giant dead bumblebee right outside our front door that my husband killed but refuses to dispose of - and even though my husband and dog are still snoring in "the other room" which is less than 5 feet away from me -  and even though the smoke from the fire is causing my asthma to flare and our throats to dry and our eyes to water - tonight I am grateful for the roof over our heads. I am grateful for the certainty in knowing that our home, and all of the memories we've shared here, will still stand tomorrow.

~~~~~

Our hearts and prayers go out to all whose homes are threatened, and to those who are courageously fighting to save so many homes and lives.

View of the High Park Fire from the east side of Horsetooth Reservoir 

Monday 6/11/12 

(We had to get out of the house with all of the maintenance going on at our building today, so we took a scenic drive up the Res. The smell of smoke was really bad, so we were only outside for 2 minutes to get a few shots. I felt selfish for being up there at all. Because so many evacuees were there just waiting, watching their homes on the other side of the Res, wondering if the fire would reach their properties. )