Busy. Busy. Busy. And, of course, I know everyone is these days. For our family, though, I must say that this period of time in our life is feeling quite more 'filled' than any previous time. Allow me, if you will, to break it down for you...

• February 17-March 1... the girls and I visited family and friends in North Carolina. (Feel free to relive this fiasco in my previous blog...)
• March 8-10... hubby attended his company's annual meet in Beaver Creek leaving a post-travel-exhausted Mommy home alone with two post-travel-hyper kiddos.
• March 12-15... Misha-N-Pops paid us a visit which was great fun. Pookie especially enjoyed the early birthday party which was complete with a 9 pound cake and yots and yots of presents! 
• March 15-18... Uncle Mike (my Uncle Mike, not to be confused with hubby's Uncle Mike) and Cousins Kristen and Michael popped in for a Spring Break visit.
• March 21-23... hubby is currently in San Diego which I hear gets its name from a whale's vagina (gotta love some Anchorman!)
• March 29-April 3... Aunt Kiki is coming for a visit... can't wait for her to log some QT with the girls!
• April 12-April 26... Nanny returns! because...
• April 14-18... hubby and I are headed to Jamaica, Mon! for my girlfriend Tamar's wedding.
• April 28-May 2... Cousins Kyndal and Brett and their darling fellas Kaiser and Porter are leaving Pittsburgh behind for a weekend in the Mile High!
• May 29-June 4... hubby and I are Hawaii bound!
• June 10-June 17... my favorite Charlotte gals are coming for their annual summer visit.

Peppered into all the craziness is hubby's birthday, our five year wedding anniversary, Carter Lilly's birthday, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, the end of the school year, swim lessons, gymnastics, solving Murphy Girl's schedule and poop dilemmas,  starting her on solid foods (and hopefully convincing her that a bottle of milk is not her mortal enemy), trying to get rid of this darn baby belly in order to not be completely humiliated during our beachy trips, and generally ensuring that everyone survives the insanity with both a sane mind and a healthy body.

I must confess: this blog is mostly written for me. I'm hoping that it will be a nice reference point for me when I forget who's coming and who's going and when and where the comings and goings are occurring. 

I have a favorite quote: "Anticipation is the purest form of pleasure." I heard this several years ago, and it really resonated with me. When days are long and full of lots of whining (and, thus, lots of wine-ing), I certainly do take great pleasure in anticipating all the fun, memory making days that await us in the next few months. Looking at the bulleted points of busyness above does not make me feel stressed or overwhelmed. It makes me feel fortunate that so many folks want to come visit our toddler infested home. It makes me feel loved. It makes me feel blessed. 

Life is good. Very, very good. 

The Birthday Boy

Today is my hubby's birthday, and, since we are 1,500 miles apart, I have spent a lot of time thinking about him today.  I've pictured the day 32 years ago when my mother in law gave birth to her precious baby boy in Oklahoma. I am certain that she fell instantly and completely in love with him, and I am just as certain that God created him perfectly for me.

When my husband proposed to me, he said that he knew he wanted to marry me when he realized that his life was just better with me in it. The longer we've been married, the more I feel that same way. There are two activities in particular that are simply BETTER when we are together: eating and watching television. (What? Were you expecting things like community service and exercising? If so, clearly you have not met us in real life. But, I digress...)
Lindsay and I LOVE FOOD. We love thinking about food, talking about food, and, of course, eating food. He has given me a greater appreciation for the Mexican genre as a whole and queso specifically, and I have helped him to seek out new restaurants. When we lived in Dallas as newlyweds, we'd try a new Mexican restaurant every weekend in search of the perfect tortillas, fajitas, enchiladas, and, of course, queso. We have also embarked on similar quests for great pizza, burgers, steaks, cheese fries, and sushi.
With our bellies nice and full, the hubby and I love nothing more to relax and watch television together.  Just last week, I was watching Oprah interview David Arquette when I said to myself, "This is such an interesting interview. The only thing that would make it better is if Lindsay was here watching it with me." We tend to enjoy the same shows and often hit 'pause' so that we can provide our personal commentary. We anticipate new episodes of Mad Men as a small child awaits the arrival of Santa on Christmas Eve. We have been pleasantly surprised with the fresh judging panel on American Idol, agree that Modern Family is the funniest sitcom in ages, and admit that the new 90210 is our favorite guilty pleasure.
I've always said that my favorite thing about being married is always having someone on my team and knowing that he's 'got my back.' This has never been more true than since we've had children; if we're not a strong team, those two little rascals are likely to form an uprising and revolt in our own home. (On a side note, this whole prospect is what leads me to feel quite leery of ever adding another child to our family... do we really want to be outnumbered?!?!) Having our girls has also caused me to love and appreciate my hubby on a whole other level. Seeing him as a daddy produces an indescribable feeling of joy and even a bit of envy.

How fortunate my girls are to have a daddy who loves them 

so completely, so unconditionally, so perfectly. 

Though he denies it, my hubby wooed me on one of our earliest dates with his guitar skills... how handsome he looked strumming those strings! Nowadays he shares his talents with his new loves.

So, on this, my husband's 32nd birthday, 

I pay tribute to the man who makes me laugh, 

the man I rejoice with, 

the man who tells me I'm beautiful when I'm, literally, about to pop.

And, forgive me for stealing the words of an overplayed pop song, but as I think of continuation of this unknown adventure we call our life, I must request that he'll... 

Marry Me, Today and Every Day, Marry Me... 

When It Rains, It Tsunamis

As my last post indicated, I embarked Wednesday on my first cross country flight with both girls and no-hubby. Despite feeling a bit nervous, I actually was actually pretty confident that all my thoughtful preparations would lead to a fairly easy/uneventful experience. Boy was a wrong! The last 48 hours of my life would certainly rank in the top 10, no 5, most stressful of my entire life. Here goes the tale in bulleted form as my first draft, paragraph style, was becoming a novel...

• We left home at 8 AM Wednesday for our 10:25 flight to Greensboro with a connection in Charlotte. Our sitter, Tessa, rode along so that I wouldn't have to leave a car at the airport. I went inside to get our boarding passes and check our bags while Tessa stayed in the car with the girls.
• I loaded Carter into the stroller and Murphy into the Bjorn, stored Pookie's carry-on suitcase in the stroller basket, and attached my carry-on bag to the stroller hook. I was hands free, and we were ready to roll!
• Our first (tiny) glitch occurred when we got to security. Unlike when Carter was a baby, they now require passengers to remove babies from wearable carriers (Bjorn) before walking through the x-ray. Poor Murphy had to lay in one of the shoe/laptop containers for me to take off and put on the Bjorn.
• When we got to our gate, Carter immediately noticed another 'Baby Murphy' and wanted to go say hi. When the little fella didn't say 'hello' in return, Carter informed me that he was being 'shy at her.' I let her know that at 9 months old, he hadn't quite developed the language skills to verbally greet her. I learned that the blue-eyed boy's name was Henry, and his mommy, Alison, would be my airport angel for the next two days.
• When our plane arrived a few minutes late, we were informed that some type of tests had to be done on it before we could board. The flight that should have taken off at 10:25 kept getting pushed back... 10:45, 11:20, 12:30...
• During our wait in the airport, we found an out-of-the-way spot to settle in with Alison and Baby Henry. Murphy was happy as a clam, but Pookie began getting a bit antsy. Despite intending to save it for the plane, I gave her an IPAD that hubby and I had picked up last weekend. I had it all loaded up with lots of games and shows for her. She was thrilled with her surprise, and the IPAD became my second airport angel for the next two days.
• At around 12:30, we were finally able to board the plane. Despite knowing that I would be missing my connecting flight to Greensboro, I was glad to be in the air and just hours away from North Carolina. Murphy was calm and settled in to nurse, and Carter was keeping herself entertained with her IPAD.
• About 20 minutes after taking off, the flight got quite bumpy. The pilot announced that we would have to return to Denver and land the plane. These are not the words one wants to here while flying through the clouds with two small children. I snuggled my Murphy close and reached over and put hand on Pookie's leg. Clearly not realizing the unusual, scary situation we were in, she immediately asked me to remove my hand. I said a silent prayer for our safety and felt so relieved when the plane touched back-down in Denver.
• Alison and I reconnected on the jetway and waited nearly 30 minutes for our strollers to be given to us from beneath the plane. Back at the gate we discovered the line to arrange for alternate flight plans was quite lengthy. An agent took pity on us mommies and had us sit down and wait for her to help us.
• At nearly this exactly moment, my cell phone completely died, and my charger was packed in our checked luggage. Alison was sweet to sit with Carter while I sprinted in knee high boots through the airport with Murphy strapped in the Bjorn to buy a charger.
• By the time I back to the gate (with raging shin splints), Alison had arranged for a flight the following day by calling a toll free number. I called the same number and was booked on the same flight.
• We were told that we could pick up our checked bags in baggage claim. Alison and Henry went on to baggage claim while the girls and I stopped a few minutes to charge my phone and take a potty break.
• We got to baggage claim and rejoined Alison and Henry whose luggage came off the conveyor a few minutes later. Her ride arrived to pick them up, and they went on their way. We waited another half an hour for our luggage only to be informed that it had been sent on to Greensboro without us. Hubby arrived at about 4:30 to pick us up.
• We grabbed a quick dinner, ran by Target for an IPAD charger, and tucked the girls in bed by 7:00. The evening was actually pretty relaxing, and hubby and I enjoyed several 'grown up shows' from our DVR list before heading to bed early ourselves. The calm before storm #2...
• At 10:00 Thursday morning Tessa once again arrived to drive us to the airport. We got checked in even more quickly since we had no bags to check. I was prepared for the changes to the security process, and we arrived at our gate in plenty of time to make our 12:00 flight. Alison and Henry found us, and, once again, we settled in to wait for the flight to begin boarding.
• At 11:45 they announced pre-boarding for those with small children, and the girls and I were first in line. No sooner than the agent had scanned our ticket did another employee walk down the jetway from the plane and close the door. The plane had a rough landing due to the wind and would have to be inspected before we could take off.
• An hour later we learned that the earliest the flight would depart would be 9 PM. As all the passengers formed a line to make alternate travel plans, Alison and I called the same toll free number from the day before. She opted to cancel her trip and have her ticket refunded. We said our goodbyes, and she and Henry went on their way.
• I spent next 45 minutes on the phone trying to get on another flight. A rude, and not very helpful customer service representative booked us on a Delta flight that would connect in Atlanta and get us into Greensboro at around 11:45 PM.
• It was around this point, with Alison and Henry gone, that the stress of the situation began to hit me. As I sat in the airport floor, attempting to feed/soothe a distraught Murphy and holding back my own tears, a group of men took notice of me and asked a supervisor to come and help me: enter my third airport savior, Lorrie.
• I told Lorrie about my 45 minute phone call and my new flight plans. She told me this 'resolution' was unacceptable, worked a little magic to get us onto a flight that was about to depart for Philadelphia, ran with the girls and me to the new gate, escorted us onto the plane (front row seats), stowed our carry-ons, and made sure we were settled before she left us. I saw a ray of light... the clouds immediately rolled in...
• I had been on the plane about five minutes when I noticed that my fellow passengers did not look like folks who were prepared for immediate departure. They were on cell phones, walking up and down the aisle, and working on laptops. I questioned the lady sitting behind me only to learn that this plane had already been sitting on the runway, waiting to depart, for over two hours. The girls and I spent one hour on the plane, only to have the pilot announce that this flight was cancelled because it could not pass some sort of safely inspection.
• Upon exiting the plane, I made a bee-line for Lorrie. She expressed her embarrassment and said, "Tell me what I need to do for you." I told her that I wanted to be on the 4:00 flight to Charlotte. Once again she escorted the girls and me to the new gate.
• The flight was not just sold out, and there were over 15 people on the stand-by list. Lorrie whispered in my ear an announcement would be made that passengers would receive a credit if they would give up their seats and take an alternate flight. This request was being made to get the girls and me on the plane.

At 3:45 PM Thursday we boarded the flight that would eventually touch down in Charlotte. The IPAD continued to keep Carter happy for the 3 hour flight, though she did become hyper towards the end of the flight as that is how she reacts to exhaustion. Many, many folks gave me positive comments about how well-behaved she was during the whole ordeal.

Having slept less than two hours total all day, poor Baby Murphy was completely exhausted. Unfortunately for me and my fellow passengers, she cried (more like wailed) for much of the flight. I did my best to help her get to sleep, but she just couldn't seem to find rest. I felt so fortunate to be sitting beside a Grandmother who was not just tolerant of my girls but extremely kind and helpful.

After making a pit-stop at the Greensboro airport to pick up our luggage, Nanny and Pa greeted us at the Charlotte airport with welcoming arms! Once in the car, Murphy fell into a peaceful sleep, and Pookie was, well, she was Pookie.

We are now looking forward to a great visit, and I can't wait for friends and family to meet my Murphy girl! And, as for our return to Denver which is now scheduled for March 1, I am thinking our first family cross country road trip may not be a bad idea...

In a Moment of Sheer Insanity

I clicked purchase. As a result of that simple finger motion, I have sealed my fate. (Ok, so that expression may be a bit exaggerated.) Nevertheless, in less than 24 hours I will be heading to Denver International Airport... with two children... alone. I will be checking bags, venturing through security, folding the stroller and placing it on the scanner, going up and down elevators, entering and exciting the train, folding the stroller for storage, and boarding the plane. While in the air, I will be entertaining a toddler, nursing an infant, and avoiding at all cost the need for me to use the restroom. After flying for three hours, I will be exiting the plane, boarding another plane, flying one hour (see same activities from first flight), and exiting the plane... with two children... alone.
So, if I seem to disappear from Facebook or blog world or reality, it could be because I have taken enough Valium to put knock out a small army. I kid. Sort of.
Look out North Carolina... here we come!

It's a Kid's World

Several weeks ago, hubby and I took our biggest little girlie for a haircut. Pookie was quite clear in her feelings about said cut... She didn't want water sprayed on her hair; she didn't want to sit still; she didn't want to look down; she didn't want pigtails. Let me paint a clear picture of the scene that was just so disturbing to our little one... she was sitting in a mini-Escalade while munching a candy necklace while draped in a Snoopy cape while watching The Little Mermaid while being promised a 'pop pop' at the end of the cut.
(Before you imagine my darling as being a complete brat, I must interject that she did, in fact, sit still and act wonderfully polite despite her objections.)
A couple days later, with this experience fresh on my mind, I was browsing the baby section of a store where I spotted a mat that attaches to the back of car seat. Its purpose is to keep the seat-back clean when a child who is sitting in the back seat kicks the back of the front seat. I suppose such an item would go perfectly in a car which includes a personal DVD player and a sun shield attached to the little one's window.
All of this got me to thinking... When did our world become so kid-accommodating? What happened to asking (telling) the kiddo in the back to keep his or her grubby little sneakers off the seat? While I'm not sure I completely agree with my husband that all the sippy-cupping-silliness is creating a generation of weak adults, I do want to establish some sort of middle ground for my girls.
So, when I convince myself that taking my little princess to the fancy schmancy kids' salon is not just for a hair cut but also to make fun memory, I have to remind myself of some of my own hair cuts as a child. Often times, my grandma would trim my bangs (which had been scotch-taped to my forehead) while I sat on a stool in her kitchen. No entertainment, rewards, or treats were involved; though there may have been a few threats if I had dared to wiggle! Yet something about this memory is incredibly special to me. Perhaps it's just the time spent with my grandma or the tenderness of the moment that tugs on my heart strings. In the midst of all this kid craziness, I will try to remember that it's often the simple (and free!) events over the course of our lives that make the most lasting impressions.

I LOVE Costco

There. I said it. I realize that devoting an entire blog posting to my newfound love for a 'club' store in and of itself makes me 'uncool.' Old, even. But, my love for Costco is so great that I would scream it from the rooftops. It was with giddy enthusiasm that I called my mom during my first trip to rave about my new love, just as I had called her after my first date with my now-husband to tell her that I was going to marry that man!
No, I do not purchase industrial size jars of mayonnaise or 10 gallon tubs of laundry detergent. In fact, the only bulk item I regularly purchase is organic milk.
So, what, you ask, is so wonderful about my new love? EVERYTHING, of course! But, I'm happy to provide specifics... As for food, I pick up the freshest, tastiest organic produce, and 3 pound rotisserie chickens that melt in your mouth... double the flavor and half the cost of a Whole Foods chicken!
The book selection is wonderful and offers new release, hard cover books at 1/3 the bookstore price. There is also a wide selection of unique cookbooks which are always fun.
I came across my Flip! video camera at Costco and then went on to "gift it" to two other folks as well. Not only did I purchase our new Lorex video monitor for bambino watching, but I was able to purchase two cameras for the same price other other stores are selling the device with only one! I love being able to see both girlies on the screen, AND the 'talk back' feature is killer.
Santa spent some time at Costco, as well, and found a giant Mister Potato Head which is stuffed with lots of smaller Mister Potato Heads. This was a Christmas morning favorite for sure and is still played with on a daily basis.
Oh, Costco!, though it wasn't love at first sight, you have reminded me that it's truly what's inside that counts. Who knew that behind your plain (even ugly!) exterior would lie gorgeous fresh cut flowers and even nice bottles of wine? I love you, Costo, and I'm not afraid to tell the world!

It Began with a Pie

Not an apple or cherry or chocolate meringue or key lime, but a pie nonetheless. 
One afternoon a Denver friend asked me what I was making for dinner, I casually replied, "Black bean pie." Who knew that my response would elicit such confusion on the part of my friend? I might as well have told her that I was going to sauté some little yard mouse, and serve it over brown rice. She seemed truly dumfounded that one could first form a pie from lentils and then serve it as an entree. Her reaction made me feel like I was from a foreign land.
I had always felt that my transition from being a Southern gal to a Denverite came with much ease. I quickly acclimated to the casual nature of the outdoorsy city. I am crazy in love with the weather especially the 300 plus days of sunshine we get each year. I relish the summer days with the local farmer's markets and busy parks. Yet there seems to be a chasm between what I know to be "normal" and what the folks around here consider as such.
Take tea, for example. I grew up believing that asking for a glass of tea carried with it the assumption that said beverage would be sweetened (with SUGAR, I should add.) I quickly learned that this is an incorrect assumption.
When I imagined my little girls attending, say, another child's birthday party, I pictured them joyously  frolicking around in adorable little smocked dresses. Turns out such attire can't even be purchased west of the Mason-Dixon.

Here is My Carter Lilly on her first birthday
wearing the obviously appropriate celebratory attire.

And, at Thanksgiving 2009.

And, again, at Christmas of the same year.
(Clearly, I have been successful at importing the smocked wear.)

Of course my sweet angels would include their own monogrammed stationery with their gifts. When I whip out one of these personalized cards, I am now prepared to get puzzled looks from all the other moms. "It's a Southern thing," is all I can say in response. 

Speaking of other mothers and children, how much do I miss hearing sweet little voices utter the phrase, "Yes, Ma'am" or "No, Sir" when speaking to an adult! I'm guessing these moms and dads don't give the traditional, "Mind your manners!" instruction before sending their little ones out the door. 

The longer I live away from "home" the stronger my desire grows to keep hold of those Southern ideals that I still hold dear. I will try my hardest to raise little girls who not only say "Please" and "Thank you" but also "Yes ma'am" and "No ma'am" (even if they get funny looks from their classmates.) I will be sure they learn to hand write meaningful thank you  notes and that they always mail them in a timely fashion. I will remind them to say grace before meals and to count their blessings with each bedtime prayer. And every now and again, I will play Alabama instead of the Black Eyed Peas for our afternoon dance parties.
And, since it began with a pie, I will end it with a pie... Here's my Black Bean Pie recipe. Enjoy!

1 red pepper                                      
1 sweet onion                                        
2 cans of black beans                           
1 cup of salsa                                        
1 tsp. chili powder
1 flour tortilla shell
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 pie crusts (one frozen deep dish and one refrigerated crust that you roll out)

Preheat oven to 350. Place the deep dish crust in the oven to brown. Finely dice the pepper and onion, and saute' them in olive oil or butter until transparent. Add the beans (drain one can), salsa, and chili powder. Bring to a boil. Then cover and cook on medium for 20 minutes. 
Pour half of the mixture into the browned pie crust. Top with 1 cup of cheese and then the tortilla. Pour in the second half of the bean mixture. Then top with the second cup of cheese and the refrigerated crust. 
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top crust is lightly browned.