yeah yeah yeah

Snowed In and Happy

Right now I'm sitting on the over-sized futon, dog in lap, looking up at the window in the basement. About half of the view is covered in snow but it still offers a pretty good peek into the world outside. The crazy snow world outside. Holy hell we have a lot of snow. After round one of Snowmaggedon I placed a ruler in the yard - officially marking the 23 inches of snow that dumped on us. This morning, the ruler is deeply buried. So I don't know what we are up to as far as accumulation is concerned but what I can report is that the snow is close to reaching the top of the fence in the back yard. Check it out.

 

What does one do to keep sane while cooped up in the house for what is now day six? This household has spent most of the days in the basement. Last Thursday I got ourselves all organized and snugged with our essentials downstairs. We got ourselves a bottles station, changing station, a dog and his bone area. Lance has his in-home office and baby girl has toys a-plenty along with blankets and pillows on the floor for grandé tummy time. The bassinet is back up for nap times and our fridge is full. Life is good. We are warm, happy and together. Lance spends most of the day working. He is actually working from home and getting paid (Gratefu!). Sunny rotates from my arms to Lance's lap, the jumper, the floor, the bouncing chair and back to my arms. It is a routine we are liking. She is completely obsessed with her rainforest bouncer and it is officially the MVP of Snowmaggedon in this house. 

 

So what does this momma do to stay sane? Bake. A lot of baking. Chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls, apple dumplings, no-bake cookies... good God we are packing on some extra warmth in this house. Luckily we aren't eating these alone. We have been sharing with various neighbors and enjoying the camaraderie that a blizzard brings to the neighborhood. But the shoveling counteracts the sweets, right?

Lance is obsessed with these cinnamon rolls. So good.

  

Chocolate chip cookies full of love. I used more brown sugar and less sugar this time. Awesome change-up that worked really well. 

Apple dumplings. They were much better then they look. I used my mom's old recipe and my house smelled like cinnamon for days. Reminds me of my momma. 

I've also knitted for a special February birthday and made some Valentines. And of course facebook dominates much of my home-bound time. I'm completely frustrated that it is all wonky this week, but whatever. Good times! Ha ha. And I mean good times without sarcasm. I guess I'm one of the crazy few who actually enjoys these "no where to go" days. I've yet to experience cabin fever and all this snow makes me dream of spending a winter in Maine, snowed in for months. Crazy talk, right? But this is also coming from the person who spent her last vacations in Iceland and the Eastern most part of Maine.  

Happy winter and happy Snowmaggedon. Stay warm and stay safe friends.

I Am Not 22 Years Old (so no need to try and drink like one).

Last summer I asked my friend if she had managed to get her drink-on since the birth of her baby boy. She laughed, "Oh yeah, once. You will try once too. But just once."

So true, so true. Wednesday was my big trial run of acting like a 22 year old who is actually 35 with an infant and way too old to tie one on. What happened to my skills? I remember back in Stillwater when it was no big deal to drink until 3 am several nights a week and still manage to get to work by 10 am to sling some salsa into 100 plus ramekins, smile at some customers, make an easy $35 bucks, head to the Stonewall and do it all again. Hell, even five years ago I could stay up all night and recover in a day as long as I had the essentials: aspirin, water, fried foods, laffy taffy, cough drops and more water. I use to have the ability (rarely attempted mind you) to follow a strong night of fun with a little hair of the dog and keep on going. Of course such foolish action was reserved for tailgating, days at the lake, NYC, NO or trips to Summit County. 

But I guess it is official, I'm old and drinking stupid amounts of beer and Colorado Bulldogs until sunrise, no matter how awesome the company, is dumb dumb dumb. I swear I could feel my kidneys hurt for a couple of days and it wasn't until today that I felt completely back to myself. That is a total of three days. Day one: huge ass hangover. Feel like hell. Wishing I would throw up, hoping for a three hour nap and needing a gallon of water. Day two: feeling sluggish but pretty sure I'm not going to die of an alcohol related death but not sure if I will throw up on the flight or not. Day three: feeling okay but still so very tired. Day four: normal. Finally normal. 

And all this with an infant. Good god I'm stupid. Okay, okay. Lesson learned. I cannot binge drink. I am not 22 years old and hangovers now scare me. 

At least I didn't wake up with a tiger in the bathroom. 

P.S. - husband took one for the team and took good care of Sunny. Please, no need to call DHS. I was dumb, but not irresponsible. 

Number 1. More Black-Eyed Peas, Please. Twenty-five Lessons from 2009.

"When you look for the bad expecting it, you will find it." — Pollyanna

I hate to even consider saying that this year has sucked when it obviously was one of the best years of my life (thank you Sunny). But for several reasons it was also the worst year of my life. Maybe it was the black-eyed peas I ate. I did eat my peas. I always always always eat my peas. But I was six weeks pregnant last New Year's Day and experiencing full-on morning sickness. I threw up the peas. Maybe that is the reason for this ongoing run of bad luck mixed with exceptionally great luck. At least my luck is in balance. With the good comes the bad and I guess I'm learning to adjust to the ups and downs and trying to make my own big ass pitcher of lemonade.

But I'd be lying if I didn't say I was looking forward to a new year. Openly welcoming 2010. I love the hope of a new year. The prospect of greater things around the bend. The idea that if you eat just the right amount of black-eyed peas you can offset all potential bad luck for the year. A new year, a new beginning and the start of new adventures. 

So after writing my twenty-five lessons from 2009 what did I learn and what do I want to bring with me into 2010? I think I'm officially a Pollyanna. I need the Glad Game — the game of finding something to be glad about in almost every situation —  to help get me through the rough spots and I need the Glad Game to appreciate the good stuff. It is all about balance, finding good in even the worst of situations and eating your peas. Always, always, always eat your black-eyed peas. 

 

Happy New Year to you and yours and bring on 2010!
 

Number 2. Making a List. Twenty-five Lessons from 2009.

Here is a list of random thoughts, lessons and/or things I want to blog in 2010. Can you believe it is almost 2010?

• My Dad will always, no matter the time or weather situation, pick me up or take me to the airport.
• Headhunters are evil evil people that obviously enjoy messing with the heads of the unemployed.
• I don’t get or understand the purpose of 3.2 beer. It really is dumb and not having access to imports at the grocery store or Q-Trip or Walgreens is annoying.
• The Northern Lights have nothing on baby giggles and smiles.

 

• One or two nights in Stillwater a year can rejuvenate the soul. 
• Too many nights in Stillwater can make you feel old. 
• A two-hour phone conversation with BFF makes me a happier, smarter and better-adjusted person.
• Spending $300 in counseling makes me feel stupid.
• You can't force family to see when you travel home but boy it sucks when you travel 1,400 miles with an infant and brothers can't load up the kids and drive them seven miles to see you. Just saying. 
• Fast food potluck is freaking awesome fun. Intrigued by the concept? Yeah, I'll share the details later.
• Nothing happens here that doesn’t happen there.
• I would be lost without out my facebook phone, I mean my iPhone. 
• Meconium really isn’t all that it is cracked-up to be.
• A sad baby makes a sad momma.

• Twenty-four inches of snow is a lot of freaking snow.
• Breast feeding is hard and a lot of pressure.
• Line queues make sense. Why don't they queue in Oklahoma? I never pick the right line and I'm glad I don't have the pressure to make that choice in VA lines.
• If it is not on the list it isn’t going to happen. Pregnancy left me with the memory of a goldfish. Maybe by writing these thoughts down I'll remember them for the future...but I’ll probably still manage to forget.

 

Number 3. Let Them Eat Cake. Twenty-five Lessons of 2009.

In times of tragedy and sorrow some people cry, some people sleep and some people eat. I'm an eater. Preferably something sweet. Chocolate cake balls, a Merritt's cake or cookie. A big pan of hot brownies, ice cream or even a big bowl of icing. The sweeter the better — sugar is where I find my comfort. Damn I wish I was a person who found peace in a nice long run. I'm completely jealous of those who use a long run or bike ride to clear their mind. But that isn't me. I unfortunately find my peace in the bottom of a bowl of raw cookie dough. I swear it wasn't more then ten minutes after my mother's death I had a Merritt's cookie in my mouth. And I'm pretty sure my sisters had one too. While my dad likely had his hands in a bowl of M&M's. It is inherited. I come by it naturally. I blame it on my mother. She was the best baker ever. I can still remember the smell of her homemade cinnamon rolls, apple dumplings and date roll cookies. Her chocolate mousse was like no other and she could make a French silk pie better then any I've ever tasted. Oh my mother could bake. So it isn't surprising that the Hill girls have a chocolate, pie, cookie, brownie, cinnamon bread, cake batter, ice cream, cookie dough, baked fudge addiction. 

So these past few months I have given the Kitchen Aid quite a workout. Ahhh, but the smell of homemade cookies reminds me of my momma and that makes me happy. So admittedly I need to slow down on the baking or at least stop eating what I make (a goal for 2010) but few things in life are better then a plate full of warm cookies made by your momma. I'm not sure growing up I realized cookies came in a box. I hope Sunny grows up the same. 

 

Number 8. How I Eliminated Holiday Stress. Twenty-five Lessons of 2009.

I discovered that the one easy way to get rid of holiday stress is to remove the most stressful component. For us, especially this year, it was gift buying. So we committed to not buying a single gift for Christmas this year. Not for ourselves, not for our families and not even for baby Sunshine. Nothing, nada, zilch. I spent zero hours shopping (hooray—I loath shopping), zero dollars on presents and zero hours wrapping. And it feels great. Not that I don't enjoy the spirit of giving, I love nothing more then to find the perfect gift for those that I love but I hate hate hate the pressure to buy because of a specific holiday. I just feel like this whole consumer driven holiday leads to greed and waste and doesn't reflect the true meaning of Christmas. Ironic since I'm not a Christian, right? But it is now December 24th and I have not had a single breakdown over the stress of the holidays. I have instead used my energy this year baking, knitting, writing and spending time with a baby. And the Hill family is all good with this no gift buying plan too. We are actually doing a White Elephant exchange but this year but you can't pay for the gift. Sort of a recycle "Green Elephant" exchange.

And hey, don't go calling me a Scrooge either - I have plenty of holiday spirit. Lance and I put up a beautiful tree several weeks ago and I have especially enjoyed listening to some of my mom's favorite Christmas albums (John Denver and the Muppets) and singing to Sunny. Plus, we are planning to celebrate this evening at the UU for a special Christmas Eve service then coming home to a nice Christmas Eve dinner - just Lance, Sunny and I. The goal for the day is calm and peace and love, mixed with much happiness.

So yes, all this talk of no gift buying does mean we aren't doing Santa with Sunny this year. Frankly, she is too young and there isn't a thing she needs other then love. But rest assured Lance and I will spend many a discussion in 2010 on how we plan to address Santa in the future. I could do without all Christmas gift giving forever but Lance is set on Santa. Likely we will find a compermise with one or two Santa gifts a year and call it good. It just seems so much more important to spend our money on flights home and family vacations to new places. It is a big big world out there and my money is better spent traveling then in the mall. I don't know, maybe that thought will change.

So Merry Christmas to you and yours and here's hoping that Christmas Day is full of peace. I'm looking forward to flying home tomorrow. I can't wait to see everyone in Claremore tomorrow. Hug my dad and sisters and neices and nephews and all my family. So much love waiting for us and I can't wait!

Peace and Love.

Number 11. The Christians and the Pagans. Twenty-five Lessons of 2009.

"So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table. Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able. Lighting trees in darkness, learning new ways from the old, and making sense of history and drawing warmth out of the cold." - Dar Williams, Christians and the Pagans.

I've always loved that song. And although I'm not a Pagan or a Christian I like that both winter holidays - Christmas and Winter Solstice - share a common theme of rebirth and new beginnings. And I'm happy that in 2009 I'm starting to find some balance in religion or in my case, lack of religion with balance. 

This summer we started attending the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church. And we love it. Attending Sunday lecture has become a part of our life that we look forward to, but it isn't our life. We enjoy spending time with a community whose main focus is to promote moral values through their own kindness and service. It is just a good fit for us and it makes us happy. I like that we can attend a church without being a hypocrite. I like that "sermons" can question and challenge the existence of god while still giving you a huge sense of hope and happiness. I like that all religions are respected and I like that all people, no matter sexual orientation or beliefs, are accepted. I like that the children's religious education does not focus on one belief but rather explores Christianity, Judaism, Paganism, Islam, Buddhism and others. To me that is the ultimate teaching of peace, or at least peace as I see it. 

So I'm happy that we jumped way out of our comfort zone and went to the UU with an open mind this summer. MVUC is committed to many social justice programs and our involvement will help us engage in more service activities. And it will challenge our spirituality. Service and spirituality - two things our lives have lacked over the years. This new involvement will be good for us and good for Sunny. Plus I really like that there are few, if any, holidays the UUs don't celebrate.

Happy Winter Solstice!

 

Number 12. I Heart Huntington. Twenty-five Lesson of 2009.

I haven't lived in a neighborhood since College Park Road and I have to say, it is nice to live in a neighborhood again. Since 1997 Lance and I have lived in over a dozen places: Ramsey Street, Sherwood, Rachel's attic, house across the street from the wooden Indian, Place One Apts, Hester house next to Balk, Em's old Ramsey House, Miller St., married student housing, Duck Street, Old Town next to Southside, Old Town King and Patrick and Huntington. Wow, that is a lot of moving. So it is nice to finally find ourselves in the middle of a community for the first time, a place where we want to stay put for a while and grow some roots. We love it here and think it is a good fit for the four of us. And the more we get to know the people in our community and folks on our street we realize just how lucky we are to live in a place full of good, kind folks. Neighbors that help keep an eye on your place when we are gone for two months. Neighbors who share with us good company, food, wine and beer. Neighbors who organize cook-outs and neighbors who organize neighborhood knitting groups. I heart Huntington. 

As the neighborhood of Huntington digs out from the 24 inches of snow from Blizzard 2009 I'm happy we live here. To the unfamiliar eye the neighborhood doesn't look all that appealing. The lack of a HOA is apparent and some of the places are run-down and vacant. It is an eclectic mix here on Huntington. Some houses are bursting with beautiful landscape and porches while others are barely mowed once a season. But all the same, it is what gives Huntington its character. 

Today everyone in Huntington is digging themselves out of the snow and helping their neighbors who can't. I love living in a community and Huntington is a great one. 

 Happy Snow Day Alexandria!

Number 13. I Still Love DC. Twenty-five Lessons from 2009.

I often wondered if after I had a baby I would lose my love for the DC area and want to move back home. We undoubtedly put that theory to test this year. One week after Sunny arrived we packed up and spent the greater part of my maternity leave in Claremore. I can’t believe we stayed in town for almost seven weeks. I hadn't spent that much time in Claremore since I was a freshman in college, almost twenty years ago. It was so nice to spend such a huge chunk of time at home (yes home - no matter how long I’m away Claremore will always be home) with the family and with friends. I just wasn't ready to leave. And since we were there for almost two months we got to see Zebra and OSU football, parades, a concert at Cain's Ballroom and spend lots of time with our family and friends. It was nice. It was nice to start off Sunny’s life surrounded by those that love her and hanging out on College Park Road. I miss home, I miss Claremore and I miss College Park Road but I'm happy to also call Virginia home. Very happy!

As much as I miss the small town life, football games and friendly familiar faces I love the fast-paced life in the DC metro area. I love that we can jump on a train and cross over into DC in just a few minutes. Between the museums, embassies, parks and trails there is so much to do and so much to see. I find it amazing that I was sick for the first two months of 2009, way pregnant during the summer and in Oklahoma for two months in the fall - yet we still managed to see several concerts, attend inauguration parties, visit a couple of embassies, attend fancy fund-raising events and take strolls around the National Mall. What an amazing place I get to call home. What an amazing place to raise a child. On any random day we can go to the National Zoo and see the pandas, see Kermit at the National Museum of American History, or go ice skating on the National Mall. Plus I just like the options. The options of always having something to do or somewhere to go but also the option to staying in our neighborhood and taking a walk and playing outside. I still love DC.

When I was home in Claremore we hung out with a bunch of Tulsa friends and spent some time in the downtown and Brookside area of Tulsa. And it was great. If we ever to get back to Tulsa I could see our life fitting in nicely between riverside and downtown. I know that being surrounded by our friends and famly would be awesome but for now I think we are still trying to find our ground in the DC area and are still amazed by everything around us. So amazed that we have to stay put and see what else we can explore around us. I do still love DC. Especially today - Blizzard 2009 and the 20"+ plus snow... so beautiful. 

 

Number 17. I Can't Stand a Messy House. Twenty-five Lessons from 2009.

Those who knew me in college or, god forbid, lived with me know me as the messiest person ever. How did you all live with me? How did the dirty laundry everywhere, stacks of dirty dishes, salsa smelling wait bags and stacks of old papers and trash not drive you nuts? Okay, I'm sure it did drive you nuts so the real question is how did you see through it and still keep me as your friend? I'm so glad you saw me for the person I was and not for the month old bowls of cereal under the bed. Thank you and I here by officially apologize to all my previous roommates. I'm sorry for the chaos I brought you. But if you can believe it, I'm no longer that force of destruction I was years ago. I actually can't stand a messy house. I know, right? Totally and absolutely crazy. Tup, Em and Mik probably don't believe me, but it is true. 

And for the record, I've been clean for almost ten years. I actually recovered from my Pig Penny days a while back. But after pregnancy nesting and having Sunny I've taken it to a new level. One might even call the new level OCD. (Ha, ha....and I just gave Kara a huge annoyance with that description!)  But it is strange the overwhelming need to keep everything organized, picked-up and clean. Who would have thought that organization, 409, Swifters and laundry folding would become one of my top priorities in 2009 as dust free shelves and clean sinks give me balance. But Sunny doesn't get to choose where she lives and it is only fair if the place she calls home reflects a world of peace, not chaos.