Starting Over

     

     Well, congratulations to the person or persons who sneaked in and bought the house we went to put an offer on yesterday right out from under us. I am finding it difficult to remain positive this morning, and am beginning to think it is going to require a Chai tea and a little shopping. You see, this house had it all, and not one of them up to this point had. They'd all had most, but not all. It's a tricky thing to find a house in the right neigborhood that has the following:

Older home charm (prior to 1950) This one was built in 1927

Details (trim, built-ins, glass doorknobs, etc.) Tons of glass doorknobs, and a laundry chute

3 bedrooms AND a space for Mr. Wonderful's office--yep, this one had a large office space

An up-to-date kitchen--beautiful granite countertops, amazing cabinets, farmhouse sink

A working (by this I mean big enough stalls with garage door openers) two-car garage--yep, check!

A decent backyard for our dog, Tyson--smaller, but perfect

A foyer (I have a dislike for opening the front door of a home and finding myself in the middle of  the living room)--this entryway was huge...I was picturing a large oriental rug just inside the door...

     So, as I write this morning I am mentally saying goodbye to the house I was just sure we would be moving into here in a month or two. I've also invested a little time in some prayer...mostly along the lines of "Ok, God--what is it? Where is it? When is it?" which may not seem clear to Oz readers, but God knows what I mean. :)

     I am going to trust in God and our tireless realtor Michelle to find the house that we are actually meant to move into, as it is now clear that this one (above) was not it. Back to the drawing board!

Practical Vs. Emotional

     As many of you know, Mr. Wonderful and I have been wanting to buy our first home for quite some time now. We've looked at countless houses in various neighborhoods for ages, and our realtor Michelle, patient and amazing as she is, has developed the knack for knowing what we'll like and what we won't right away. You see, I am drawn to certain types of houses...and it's entirely an emotional connection. Turns out, I'm not alone! According to International Communications Research, the following are true when it comes to gender and home-buying:

• The majority of women said that they had made up their minds the day they viewed the property for the first time, as opposed to men who needed two to three visits to decide.
• Women prefer living closer to their extended family as opposed to being near work.  Men would prefer a shorter commute to work.

Similarities of the sexes would include:

• Security or lack of security would be a deal breaker for both sexes.  Home security is one of the fastest growing businesses.
• Spare rooms would be used by both sexes as an additional bedroom, office/study or family room/den.  Although most men in the study would prefer the spare room be used as a "man cave" for recreational purposes.
• Couples say that neither sex "wears the pants" in the family in terms of making financial decisions.  Mutual decisions of this magnitude are important to both sexes.

     All that being said, I'm fortunate that my husband lets my penchant for glass doorknobs, leaded pane windows, stained glass and elaborate wood trim carry some weight. Because here's the honest truth: I want to fall in love with a house. I want it to be a passionate, romantic relationship that begins the instant I set foot inside. Like a man, the ideal house for me would be charming, well-established (read: old, although Mr. Wonderful is 2 years my junior), interesting, let you have room to grow and....overly practical need not apply! Aesthetics are going to win out for me every time. The only place I encourage a house to be practical is the kitchen--practically overflowing with stainless steel appliances, that is. The bathroom wins extra points if there's a claw-foot or free-standing tub. 

     Welcome to the world of real estate as I know it in Kansas City. It is quite clearly divided in the simplest of ways--by the state line. (Kansas vs. Missouri). Currently we reside in Kansas. Homes here are practical, not old (by that I mean you don't come across homes that are older than the 1950's), you can get more space for your buck, and the further south you go in the county, the newer the houses get...and the more my interest wanes. Houses begin to look alike...a-line roofs and various shades of beige and taupe. 

     In Kansas City, Missouri on the other hand, you have homes from the late 1800's and up...but not too far up...to the 1950's. These houses are loaded with details from a long-ago era that make my imagination race when I'm walking around from room to room. It becomes easy to imagine (in the oldest of these) that I'm Scarlett O'Hara--albeit sadly misplaced in the midwest, and in those from the 1940's that I'm a housewife waiting for my man to come home from the war, and in those from the 20's I imagine my 1921 Victrola playing in the living room while Mr. Wonderful and I slow-dance to "Moonlight Serenade", our wedding song.  We do this now, on occasion, only our current rental house is the same age as me and has about as much romance and character as a slug. 

                                                 There I am, racing down the driveway at Tara...

     The only issue with these exciting homes in Kansas City, MO is neighborhood. Plenty of times I have found myself impressed with a 1920's bungalow or a 1940's colonial, and already begun to imagine myself living there...when somebody (usually Mr. Wonderful) points out the nearness of a crime-ridden neighborhood, intersection, etc. And he is right. And I, romantic as I am when it comes to real-estate, begin to look at these houses with new eyes--eyes that see me at home alone some evening in my cute bungalow when somebody decides to break in. And--POOF! The romance is gone, and so am I--onto the next house, in a different neighborhood. After all, we may have a big dog, but his teeth aren't as sharp as they used to be!

     Having gone through this rigamarole off and on for years now, we have finally decided on a neighborhood. No hesitations, no niggling doubts--nothing but enthusiasm for the future and a desire to make it happen! And not that it helps, but Junior is due to arrive within 45 days...!

So while I'm not likely to end up with something along the lines of Tara, I'll be absolutely thrilled to end up dancing with Mr. Wonderful in a Tudor from the 20's. :)

So, tell me: When making a large purchase decision, what's your approach? Practical or emotional?

Rounding Up the Puzzle Pieces

     I have decided that, even though we aren't decorating Junior's first room full-on like we will when we move, getting everything together for a nursery is exactly like working on a jigsaw puzzle. Especially if you go the route we are, which does not involve a cookie cutter Pottery Barn Kids layout. I had decided, after initially registering for everything Pottery Barn, that since I wanted a vintage Peter Rabbit look, that the furniture should be vintage as well. Here we are a few months later, and the only new thing in Junior's room is the crib. But it looks vintage.

The only thing I knew when I started the process was that I wanted an iron crib. These just spoke to me. What they said usually was "I know we're nowhere near your price range but don't you just love us??" One of the major reasons I love this crib? There is no flat ledge around the edge to help this guy jump into it...

He may look docile here (stretched out on Mr. Wonderful's legs) but he is possibly the most active cat I've ever known. He is always busy doing something.
     So having got the crib sorted out, thanks to Granddad (my dad), we were on to the dresser/changing table.

I estimate this dresser to be from the 1890's to the early 1900's. See the knobs? Here's a close-up:

Obviously these didn't come with the dresser...I'll say it again--eBay is a vast wealth of all things Peter Rabbit!
     Then we added the rocker, and today, my friends, was the day I finally found the material to have cushions made for it...for less than half the original cost I thought I'd be paying. Score! It's a solid blue, the color of Peter Rabbit's jacket, and the cushions will incorporate white grosgrain ribbon ties at the top and base of the chair. I'm hopeful they'll be done by the time Junior arrives but according to the estimate on the invoice, baby and cushions are currently neck and neck!

     Since I am not revealing Junior's real name until after he gets here (for those of you I haven't blabbed to already), I am dying to show you the clock we're going to hang over the bookcase we have yet to purchase...but can't, as it has his name printed on the face of the clock (a Peter Rabbit clock, of course). Today I purchased a metal floor lamp from the 1940's (the second newest thing going into the temporary nursery) but I intend to paint it green and maybe stencil it before it makes its debut on The Oz Search.
We're down to a table, rug and bookcase! (I dread the rug--they're priiiiiceeeey!)
     So far, an antique mall here in town has outfitted our entire nursery (except for the crib). I can't say enough good things about this place:

Nellie & Nicco's. They have the good stuff--truly. You don't have to dig, you don't have to view items with one eye closed in the hopes that improves their appearance--these are really great finds. The people there are super helpful (and delivery is cheap!) I'll be hitting this place up for years to come--they are just my style!

So, tell me: When you decorate a room or maybe even your entire home, do you have a go-to shop to pick up the necessities?

Ah, Monday...Here You Are Again

     This never happens to me, but I actually had a Saturday where I felt bored for a period of time. Sure, I could've done  a couple of little household tasks that needed doing but that seemed about as appealing as putting an olive in my mouth.

     I found myself, unfortunately, relying on my husband to entertain me. ME--an only child, relying on someone else for entertainment. We're supposed to be a little more self-reliant and self-entertaining than that! Poor Mr. Wonderful--nothing he suggested sounded worth getting off the couch for. Finally, as a last straw and last ditch effort to get out of the house...we ran errands. Exciting? Nope. But it got me off my rear end.
     Sunday went by in a blur--we did join our church, and Mr. Wonderful is getting baptized soon! That was exciting. Other than a nap and attending our niece's 2nd birthday, there was nothing else going on. We keep trying to hang onto our interest in True Blood on Sunday nights but it's fading fast. Anyone else think this season is duller than dishwater?? Anyone else wanting to fast-forward to other shows on the horizon? Boardwalk Empire? Walking Dead? Anybody?
     All that being said, I woke up this Monday morning with a purpose, and found myself, due to technical difficulties, unable to accomplish what I'd had in mind. It brought on a case of the Mondays fast, and here I am now wishing for Tuesday because well...today feels like a bust already. I am seriously lacking the motivation I need to tackle any nagging little to-do's now. And I envy these guys, because they just seem happy to be here:

So, tell me: How do you get back on track when your plans get derailed?

Please Stop Touching Me!

     Trolling through the aisles at the grocery store, I arrived at the coffee aisle, and saw a young couple shaking their head and walking away from what I can only describe as a very unusual looking woman. Bottle-neon red hair, quite heavyset, a revealing sundress and covered in tattoos only begins to describe her. Then she turned, saw me and held up a bag of coffee beans.
"Do you know how to use the coffee grinder?"
A small part of me wanted to go the way of the couple I'd just seen and say "Nope, sorry" but then the good Samaritan took over and I said "Sure! Let me help you." You should always listen to your first instinct, my friends.
I took the coffee beans, opened up the grinder, and the very second that both my hands were occupied in grinding her coffee for her, she put her hands on me.
"Oh, you poor thing! You're so pregnant, you must need a back massage..." and both her hands got busy rubbing the skin off my lower back at such a rapid pace that for a second I questioned if she had recently ingested cocaine.
     Now for those of you that know me, I am already a "Hey I don't really know you so I'm not comfortable being touched by you" kinda gal. Add to that, even if I know you I have to feel very comfortable with you to touch or be touched by you. That being said, the nutty-looking woman I had just come across and was trying to assist....well, it felt like molestation. I started praying "Dear Jesus, please make her stop touching me" because if I walked away at that moment, the coffee grounds would go everywhere. Finally I said "Ya know, ma'am, if you hold the bag open with your finger like this, it'll make sure none of the coffee spills out..." and the second her hands left me, I ran for my cart and performed a dash only suitable for the Pregnancy Olympics. I stayed two aisles ahead of her for the rest of my shopping, only to find myself in the checkout lane next to her when I was finished. Keeping my back to her and praying that she wouldn't try to talk to me, I overheard her loudly telling the cashier about losing a six-week old little girl to SIDS. So not only did she molest me....then she scared me half to death with her story. Never have I been so thankful to leave......that's right, you guessed it--

Because as much money as you're capable of saving at Wal-Mart, you know you're going to come across a cross-section of odd ducks the likes of which you don't see anywhere else. (We've all seen The People of Wal-Mart emails going around...)
It was a trade-off I decided wasn't worth it. For the remainder of my pregnancy I am loyal to Hyvee, where everybody else tends to look and behave as sanely as I need them to in public, and where I have never been molested!

     I am not the only one here. Across the board, pregnant women report that total strangers feel entitled to touch their bellies. Before I was pregnant I had difficulty believing people actually did that. Now I've lived it three times. A former employee, a male, had me essentially backed up against my desk rubbing my stomach with both hands, a girl I'd never seen before in my life had both hands all over my belly at a birthday party, and now the frightening woman in Wal-Mart with the unsolicited back massage. There are hundreds of articles on this phenomenon--the thinking some people have that a pregnant belly is one to be touched. Some women advise rubbing their belly right back to send home the "See how inappropriate this is?" message. Some women flat-out yell "BACK OFF!" and still others physically remove the unwelcome hand from their belly and walk away. One mother-to-be claimed it got so bad when she was in a public place that she became constantly on her guard for hands that got anywhere near her. So far I haven't developed a clear-cut course of action. Generally because I am so shocked and horrified I stand there frozen for way too long. But out of all of these, the best course of action for me would seem to be to just keep a better look-out for it, and to prevent it before it happens.

Any suggestions? It's shocking that this is a real problem, but it is!

Don't Touch!

     Yesterday I got the shock of my life second-worst shock I've ever received. Our refrigerator is literally electrified at the moment. If you touch anything other than the plastic handle, you can very distinctly feel an electric current run through your fingers and into your hand....and then at that point I can't take it anymore so I jerk away, or else who knows how far it would go?? Evil, evil fridge! I used to hate it for the extra 5-10 pounds I always seemed to want to lose, but now it's trying to electrocute me...

                                        Don't let its benign appearance fool you!

     It got me thinking about baby-proofing. Obviously electrical outlets are something you want to block

access to. I couldn't imagine if Junior were already with us, however, and he toddled over to the fridge and put his hands on it...and ZAP! I'm prepared to do battle with the obvious...

...but what about the unexpected?? When I was four, my parents and grandmother and I were shopping for men's suits at a haberdashery in downtown Bristol, TN. I was a tactile kid (and still am!) Meaning, anything that looked to have an interesting texture, I had to touch it. And while at the store, I broke away from the fam for a second to check out one of these babies...

...because, you know, it looked interesting. And boy was it ever. I vaguely remember what happened next. My mother called me, I turned to go to her...and couldn't. My grimy little fingers were glued to that radiator. I remember pulling a little and thinking "That's weird" when my hands didn't come away. Then I remember my mother coming over to physically pry my hands off the radiator, thinking, I am sure, that I was just disobeying her, and as soon as she put her hands on my arms...the jolt of electricity that had glued me to the radiator began coursing through her. 

     I remember her screaming for help, I remember a man in a red polo shirt racing over to the electrical outlet to my right, and I remember him jerking plugs out of the outlet as fast as he could. 

     Then my memory skips to the ride home. In between the unplugging and the ride home I had collapsed, the ambulance had arrived, I'd made a trip to the hospital...but none of that registered. Come to find out, there was a short in the wire of something the store had plugged into the outlet next to the radiator. And the shorted-out wire was up against the radiator.

     I think about this episode in my young life and it scares me a little. I have always been very, very nervous around electrical devices or issues, and I'm now concerned that while I will have every electrical outlet in the city blocked off from my son, I'll miss something else--a baby gate that isn't latched properly, or access to a household cleaner that I neglected to nip in the bud. I know mothers try to watch their children like hawks, but--all it takes is a second for little ones--maybe even particularly boys--to get into mischief. 

     While I go about my day today, wait for the repairman to fix the fridge and eat my lunch out so I don't have to touch the evil thing, tell me:

Anything from your childhood that still freaks you out as an adult?

The Last of the Baby Showers...

     Yesterday Mr. Wonderful's family hosted our Kansas City baby shower, as we had already had a baby shower in Charlotte for my side. It was a great venue, terrific food...we were really grateful for it! I was happy that Dusty had his closest friends and family there with him--including our nieces. One of whom decided to become my assistant when we were opening gifts...

     She's pretty much adorable, if you ask me. She became a little frustrated at my pace, however...I didn't open gifts near fast enough for her taste! Next time Aunt Meegs will definitely have to be a little quicker to keep up with Hudson!
     I have to say--one of the types of baby clothing that I find endearing are those that refer to family members. For example, I must've registered for 5 items that read: "If you think I'm cute you should see my Daddy". (Obviously I find Mr. Wonderful to be extremely cute!) Well, Hudson's mama found a great one on her own that I'd never seen--and I love it! You can barely make it out, below, but it's a pail and shovel and it reads: "My Aunt Digs Me". Love it!

     It definitely put a smile on my face, and as Junior's soon-to-be Aunt Jenna pointed out, she's going to be his only aunt. And I know he's going to love her--our nieces think she's the bee's knees (or is it the cat's pajamas?!)

     After being showered and driving home in overwhelming heat (it is consistently over 100 degrees every day here lately), Mr. Wonderful and I relaxed. We were able to relax because look what got put together earlier yesterday...(is it ok if I say "finally"?):

TA-DA! I was so excited I almost felt the need to run laps around the house. Almost. Proud Papa had this crib put together in no time flat. I was SO GLAD it wasn't more difficult than it was!
And today...I was able to add the fun stuff...bedding! Junior's going to sleep in style:

     Currently I'm working on getting cushions for that rocker made (no, the hideous pink pillow is not staying), finishing up the sheers for the other window, and changing out the knobs on the antique dresser with white Peter Rabbit knobs I spotted on eBay. eBay is a vast wealth of all things Peter Rabbit.
The decor won't ever be much in this room, but then again, we're saving the big-time decorating for the mystery house we are hopefully moving into soon!

Date Night and Grand Opening

     Friday nights tend to be our date night. I'm not really sure how that came about, it just...evolved. It may have begun when a couple of weeks in a row our week's worth of groceries we always buy ran out by Friday, now that I think of it, and that definitely applied last night. The fridge is lookin' pret-ty bare about now!

     One of our old favorites that we hadn't visited in a really long time is Ricco's.

     You'd never really suppose that this little Italian spot tucked away in an obscure shopping center could be so fantastic! But trust me--it's mouth-watering! I really love the ambience as well--dimly lit, nice classics playing overhead (think Frank Sinatra) and another plus--my brother-in-law works there! Always nice to see a friendly familiar face! And thanks to Brandon, I was treated to tiramisu for dessert--and had never even communicated to him that tiramisu is one of my all-time favorites! By the time we were finished I was so full I had trouble navigating my way out to the car...but a nice pedestrian offered to snap our photo on our way out, and I was happy to oblige. A little blurry, I thought, and wondered if it was due to anything he may have consumed earlier...hmm...(thank you to my friend Leslie for the gift of the shirt I'm wearing!)

     I would love to show you detailed pics of what we ordered....had we not swallowed it down so quickly that we didn't once pull out the camera. Suffice it to say, my mushroom risotto with truffle oil, shrimp and parmesan was to die for. So much so that I couldn't ignore the leftovers this morning, and had it for breakfast:

    It might not look like much, but these leftovers went the way the rest of the risotto went the night before...quickly!
    After gobbling up breakfast, I had a couple of things on my agenda. For one, when I'd begun to get ready to go out last night, I realized that it's official--not one single pair of my shoes will now go on my feet. So I wanted to run out and buy a pair of sandals (my feet are so swollen I'm temporarily up TWO SIZES in footwear), get a spray tan and I wanted to check out Kansas City's new arrival:

That's right--we finally got a Trader Joe's! Two of them, technically, the other one being located about 20 minutes south of us in the 'burbs. (I avoid spending much time in the suburbs--not really my cup of tea). The grand opening was yesterday, and according to the media, there were people camped out at 3:00 a.m. Friday morning just to be some of the first to walk through the doors. Now that's dedication. It is, after all--a grocery store. But, I digress. Check out the madness I found inside:

     Those first two pics? Those were just the checkout lines. Un-believable. But I took a good look around, and I'll give you a great example of why I will be back. Not until the newness and craziness has worn off a little, but I will come back, for things like this:

     I am always drawn to the more unusual food finds out there, and this was no exception. Not to say that Lemon & Triple Ginger Snap is going to become my favorite ice cream flavor of all time...but since it's new and different, I cannot wait to try it! In about a month, when the lines to check out are much, much shorter...

So, tell me: Were you ever so excited for an event that you camped out on site for hours beforehand?

European Travel...With Baby!

    
     For those of us with small children, expecting a baby or just fascinated by the abilities of some families to make it all happen, I have been especially excited to present my interview of Lindsey Knight Sodikoff. This super impressive mama and her husband Ryan live in Harrisonburg, VA, and they toted their then 3 month old daughter Sophia (she turned 4 months while they were there) throughout Europe on a family vacation. What's more, Lindsey makes it sound possible for all of us!

Oz:  Where did your travels take you?
Lindsey: We traveled from Washington DC to Munich, Germany. While in Europe we stayed in Innsbruck, Austria; Venice, Italy; Santa Margarita, Italy and Lucerne, Switzerland. While traveling we travelled on planes, trains, private buses and boats.

Oz: Had the trip been planned prior to your daughter's arrival?
Lindsey: The trip was planned right after Sophia was born. We were supposed to go in December but she was too young so we rescheduled for March.

Oz: How old was she when you made the trip?
Lindsey: She turned 4 months old on our trip. We were there for 2 weeks.

Oz: Were you apprehensive at all about taking the trip with her?
Lindsey: I was only worried about the unknown. I am a new mother so I didn't know what to expect--if I was going to forget anything and of course I could only think of the negatives!

Oz: What special preparations did you make for your little one's first European tour?
Lindsey: There were a lot of different types of preparation. We arranged for me to be in a Bassinet seat in Business Class on the plane. That was the BEST thing ever! We also had to make sure that every hotel we were staying at had a crib available in our room. When we were in Austria we had a private driver set up to take us to a bunch of different places in Austria and Germany so we had to make sure they had car seats available for her. We also had to have her passport ready to go. Infant passports are only good for 5 years. 

Oz: What was the most difficult part about traveling with her? How did you overcome the difficulty?
Lindsey: The most difficult part of travel was timing. With her being so young, we had a routine started and it got a little screwed up with the time change. While we were in Switzerland, Europe had their Daylight Savings so we lost another hour--that was the WORST day, but she slept for 14 hours that night and the next day we were back to normal. Flying over to Europe was perfect--we left at night and I just followed our normal routine so she slept for 6 hours of our 8 hour flight. However, on the way back we left at 1 p.m. in the afternoon so she only slept for 4 hours on the plane. Another difficult time was in Venice. Venice is a city of bridges and canals. So when you walk around the city pushing a stroller you are always having to pick up the stroller and carry it over the bridge (stair step bridges). So I really used my baby Bjorn a lot.

Oz: Other than the staple items (diapers, etc.) what was the one thing you packed for your daughter that you couldn't have lived without?
Lindsey: I would say that the Baby Bjorn was the one thing I am so glad I brought. I brought everything you could think of but I did not go overboard. I figured out that she uses about 10 diapers a day so I brought 140 diapers and came home with 5 diapers! I was nursing and I was using formulae for night time feeding and inconvenient times and came home with enough formula for ONE bottle! I also brought a back pack as her diaper bag. This made it VERY convenient to front carry her with my back pack on my back. Having formula with me really helped when it as not comfortable or convenient to nurse. I don't love to nurse in public. I did not bring a pump. I also brought crib sheets and blankets and this really helped, as sometimes the hotels had old sheets or no sheets on the crib. Also the other thing I am so happy I brought was her Sleep Sheep sound box. I did not take the actual sheep, I just took the noise box out of it and brought that with us. It made it easier for her to go to sleep. She stayed with us in our hotel room and at home she has her own room so we needed it to be somewhat similar to home and help drown out some of the noise in the room. It also helped me and my husband to go to sleep (very relaxing!)

Oz: What is one item that you didn't take that you wished you had?
Lindsey: I only brought one nasal ball syringe with me. I actually lost it on the plane and of course as soon as we go to Austria (our first stop) she got the worst runny nose. It was so hard to try to describe a ball syringe to a lady that only speaks German. In Europe their pharmacies are walk up counters and all the supplies and products are in the back room. She finally understood all my charades and we got the ball syringe. I also wish I would have brought different clothes for her--we thought that the weather was going to be cooler and it was actually way too warm. I used everything I brought for her but I actually had to go shopping to get her some summer clothes to wear for the super hot days. I did not do enough research on the weather and trusted other people's advice. Also, I did not bring any sunscreen and I really wish I had. Had to buy some.

Oz: Any future foreign travel plans that include your daughter?
Lindsey: As of right now she does not have any foreign travels planned but will be heading to Kansas City again and to Florida very soon. We take 2 major vacations a year so I'm sure there is foreign travel in her future!

Oz: What tips do you have for other parents hoping to travel overseas with their baby or small child?
Lindsey's own tips:
a.) Don't stress out!
b.) Take it one day at a time.
c.) Don't bring so much stuff that you can't handle all of it. Don't forget you have your suitcase and their
     suitcase.
d.) Get a bassinet seat on the plane if you can--very good for small babies, not so great for bigger
     babies, around 8 months.   
e.) I don't believe that you need a carseat. Most places have them and you don't need them for the trains 
     or planes. Most rental car companies have them available too.

f.) Bring an umbrella stroller--very convenient!
g.) Just remember that they have babies in Europe too, so anything you forget you can usually get over
     there--it will just be a little different than what you are used to.
h.) The NUMBER ONE TIP is that you need to nurse or bottle feed your baby as the plane is ascending
     and descending. This helps their little ears pop and will prevent them from SCREAMING on the
     plane. Sophia did not cry once on either flight. I actually had people walk up to me on the plane and
     say that she is the best baby, and to keep up whatever I am doing! She was the only baby on the way 
     over and one of five babies on the way back. I was not going to be "that parent with the
     uncontrollable baby"!

     I want to thank Lindsey for taking the time out to answer my questions and to provide The Oz Search with so many excellent tools and tactics to keep in mind when traveling overseas with little ones! The Sodikoff family obviously knows how to travel! Thanks, Lindsey!

This Evening's Post

     I'm particularly excited about this evening's Oz post because it's a topic that (I hope!) will apply to me in the not-too-distant future, and that I know any parents of young ones out there may find of major interest. I'm interviewing a friend and former classmate of Mr. Wonderful who bravely (and successfully, I might add) toured Europe with her husband....and four month old daughter.


So excited to share Lindsey's insights and experiences with you!   

Since this, below, is what I have to inspire me this morning, I am going to have to fight the urge to nap and see if I can't accomplish a thing or six...

    

Aaaaand We're Back!

     Well after almost 24 hours of no cable or internet (we had a whopper of a storm last night--60 mph winds, hail and t-storms) I'm back up and running.

     Tonight's dinner was neither impressive nor healthy...a chocolate concrete from Sheridan's with strawberries mixed in. Yes, that was all I wanted. :) It hit the spot. BUT--last night's dinner was ah-may-zing! And I have to give credit to Mr. Wonderful, as the whole thing was his idea. You see, there's this local pizza joint here and we just adore it. Using my trusty pressure cooker I was able to replicate the pizza we normally order from our pizza spot.

What it took for Buffalo Chicken Pizza:

2 chicken breasts, cooked in pressure cooker for 15 minutes
Frank's buffalo wing sauce
2 tbsp. melted butter or margarine
smoked provolone cheese
1 grated carrot
pizza dough (we like Whole Foods' ready-made dough)
bleu cheese dressing for dipping

    

     The nice aspect of the pressure cooker when used for pulled pork or chicken is that it makes everything so tender you almost don't even have to pull/shred the meat. It generally begins to fall apart when you're removing it from the pot. What a time and energy-saver.

     I added melted butter to the wing sauce, then tossed the shredded chicken in the sauce until it was evenly coated...

     Then I drizzled just enough wing sauce on pizza dough--(the amount is up to you--exactly how much do you like the hot stuff??) and added the grated carrots.

     At this point Mr. Wonderful became involved, and he added slices of smoked provolone...

...while I snacked on these...

I honestly cannot get enough strawberries lately...I have them almost 3 times a day!
Next we added the chicken...

...and finally topped it with a little more provolone...

I've never exactly been afraid of "too much cheese"...whatever that is. :)
And voila! After baking at 350 until the crust was golden brown, it was finished...and we were in love. Honestly, it was beautiful...

     In our attempt to truly replicate the pizza we order on occasion, we had bleu cheese on the side for dipping. This pizza is messy (but not as much as actual buffalo wings) and worth every napkin we used up in our effort to down it! Mr. Wonderful gave it lots of stars (not sure as to the exact number as his mouth was full when he was rating it!).

     Tomorrow I go back to PT after a way-too-long hiatus and cannot wait. I always feel so much better afterward. I also have a hair appointment tomorrow as well and the same thing goes in that department. 

So, tell me: Why do you think it is that I can do my PT exercises at home, and fix my hair at home, but both of those seem so much better when somebody else is helping me/doing it for me??

A Lesson Learned and Cheering Yourself Up

     You know that question so often asked in job interviews..."What are you looking for in a position?" or "What makes a work day a good day for you?" Well, for as long as I can remember, the answer to that question for me has been "To go home at the end of each day feeling like I accomplished something...to be productive."

     I learned today for the first time in my adult life that feeling like I mowed through my To-Do List isn't necessarily going to bring me the happiness I thought it would. Somewhere around early afternoon (don't judge--my day started early!) I began to lose steam. Then little things began to bother me. Then I had to deal with an incredibly rude total stranger on the phone on a very important issue (one I'm not too familiar with). In the end it didn't matter that I had confidently crossed through (and check-marked) everything on my list for the day. I was still irritated and a little bummed out.

     My solution? Look through photos. I read about this little method months ago and it works. Technically, the article I read was on getting over being irritated with your husband by looking at wedding photos, but I found it works with any photos of the good times in your life. So after dinner this evening, I went through the following series:

Mr. Wonderful and I at our dear friend Stephanie's wedding...

The two of us at The Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC,pretending the statue is our Siamese cat, Ming...

Picking apples at Vaughn's Apple Orchard in Weston, MO...I didn't get the "act goofy" memo...

Ice skating at Crown Center in downtown Kansas City...his 1st time...he was great...I kept falling!

            All dressed up for New Year's Eve...had no idea I was pregnant in this picture!

     

     After just a handful of these pictures I felt immensely better. I'm so blessed, after all! Great husband, family, friends, and these guys:

                           Our little Christmas elves...1 good, 1 not-so-much...

So, tell me: What are your tried-and-true methods to get yourself out of a funk when your ruby slippers malfunction?