Free Stuff

Two posts in one day is absurd. I know! But, being the incredibly selfless blogger that I am, I simply had to share.

Dooce is a great blog that I subscribe to. She is in a whole different blogging arena from those of us who write about...oh I don't know...our favorite vegetarian foods and remodels and weight loss and such. She actually makes money from blogging. Like quit-your-job-and-just-blog kind of money. LIKE YOUR-HUSBAND-CAN-QUIT-HIS-JOB-TOO-AND-BE-YOUR-BUSINESS-MANAGER KIND OF MONEY. Dare I dream? Well today, she posted a contest to give away five Wii and Wii fit systems. And all you have to do is leave a comment. The winners will be selected at random and you can comment as many times as you'd like before Thursday. Granted you also leave a viable e-mail address in case you win which may get flooded with a million advertisements from the Nintendo minions. But hey, did you forget about the FREE Wii and Wii Fit system??? FREE.

And lest you wonder how one makes so much dinero from blogging, let me point out that she posted this contest at 1:24pm according to my Google Reader and there are already 2946 comments at 3:00pm. I am number 2501. Dang it. I bet 2500 gets picked.

New People

I am working on a project for the group that manages our kids business at work. As I was talking to the leader of the group, she asked if I had kids. I answered "yes." She asked if they were young kids. I answered "yes." Thinking I was off the hook for further explanations, we continued the discussion. But later as I was trying to explain an experience with a particular product, I ended up mentioning that my daughter would have been almost 4. Then I gave a brief explanation that was initially met with a simple "I'm sorry." The traditional response. So I continued to talk about this product we used and then bam, she started crying and apologizing. She has three kids and cannot imagine... I know. It's best if you don't imagine this scenario. Trust me. I didn't know how else to respond other than some stale platitudes.

"It's been a rough year."
"Thank you."
"We miss her terribly."

UGH. We eventually moved on but it was just one of those tough moments. Meeting new people is hard.

Veggie Favs

I haven't wanted to alarm you. But in order to understand these favorite products, I should probably give you the full story. You may need to sit for this. Okay, here goes.

For the past six months, I have been avoiding meat, dairy and refined sugar. I've been a vegetarian* for years so that's nothing new. I'm lactose intolerant so I really shouldn't eat dairy...but it's just so darn tasty! And sugar? C'mon we all know that sugar is the devil...but it's just so darn tasty!! All of these things make me feel lousy so for the most part, I avoid them...and their tasty goodness. And voila, the pounds practically jumped off my body like rats leaving a meat-free, dairy-free, sugar-free ship.

You may think this would be a tough diet to stick with but it's really been pretty easy thanks to a few of my favorite products.

SAVORY:

• Morning Star Farms Chik'n Nuggets - Meat-free and fast (contains dairy). As a proud carnivore, Jeff claims to dislike any of my "fake meat". But somehow half of these disappear straight off the cookie sheet while I'm out of the room. Strange.
• Lightlife Smart Bacon - Mmmmmmm, bacon (vegan). So many uses, so little time. Toss in some veggie fried rice. BLT. Crumble with melted soy mozzarella and diced tomatoes on a whole wheat tortilla.
• Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative - (vegan, gluten-free) Cheddar, mozzarella, monterey jack and nacho flavored. They actually melt which makes for endless possibilities. I used them in a mac & cheese recipe and it was aaaaamazing.

SWEET:

• Pamela's Products Chocolate Brownie Mix - wheat-free, gluten-free, non-dairy (does contain honey so it's not vegan). I make it using applesauce instead of the oil and Ener-G egg replacer. And since I can't make anything from a mix without sprucing it up a bit, I also add extra...
• Tropical Source dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate chips - Use in place of chocolate chips in any recipe. I have served the brownies with these chocolate chips to many unsuspecting people lately and received rave reviews. Then I confessed. But by then they couldn't take it back.
• Zen Soy Chocolate Pudding - Organic, vegan, TASTY! This is my go-to 7:30pm snack. Toss in a handful of sliced strawberries or fresh raspberries and enjoy. And then just try to tell me you feel deprived, I dare you.

I have many more favs but I'll leave you with these for now. I wouldn't want to overwhelm you with such healthy goodness. Your sugar filled little hearts might skip a beat. My one warning is that although these are healthier alternatives, they are still chock-full of calories. In other words, you can't eat the entire pan of brownies in one sitting unless you want to use a rubber band to keep your pants closed. Not that I've had to do that.

*For the record, a vegetarian eats nothing with a face. Yes, fish have faces. So does a chicken. Good for you if you've given up red meat but you're not actually a vegetarian. Okay, I feel better now.

Binge Day

Is it only Wednesday? It can't be. Unless it's next Wednesday because it can't be this Wednesday. Ugh. It's been a looooooong 3 days.

Monday I found out that a co-worker was diagnosed with Lymphoma.

Tuesday I found out that another co-worker was diagnosed with Colon cancer.

Then I e-met 2 new kids battling cancer who are friends of friends.

And then I found out that another kid, who we thought beat the same tumor as Lillian, is fighting it yet again.

I went home last night feeling utterly defeated. Add to that four dozen oreo truffles calling my name and will power suddenly seemed unimportant. Two truffles and a giant bowl of popcorn later, I still felt lousy. Lousy and fat. Great. And then it hit me. So this is how I got myself into the place where I was sporting an extra 50 lbs. Duh!

In an attempt to make something productive from this binge day, I will recap what I have learned:

1. Jeff was right. Oreo truffles are heaven dipped in chocolate.
2. I need to learn how to make better choices when I'm feeling sad/mad/happy/anything. (Don't tell me to work out. That's like pouring salt in the wound for me.)
3. I need to keep healthy food in the house. I'm in sore need of groceries which made the crap look even tastier.
4. One binge day is fine. Especially if I am working out. But I haven't worked out in a week. AND I'm finding it difficult to get back on the wagon. I need to find my motivation again.
5. Cancer sucks. We need to find a cure.
6. 99.99% of the time, people will not take you up on offers to help. Especially if you are a stranger. Sometimes you have to identify a need and fill it without asking.
7. Calling a person who is newly diagnosed with cancer seems impossible but do it anyway. It's not that hard.
8. I don't always say the right things. But at least I say something.
9. If I offer to pray for someone, I do it immediately. There is nothing worth than an empty promise...especially a promise of prayer.
10. Just when you think you must know everyone with cancer, someone new is diagnosed and the journey begins again.

Bake for a Cause

My co-worker Amy is not only a talented artist and all around great gal, she's also a devoted philanthropist. Take this weekend for example. On Sunday she is riding in the LiveSTRONG Challenge, painting our Relay for Life backdrop and meeting with the coordinator of her upcoming volunteer trip to Africa. Geez! She does more in one day than I could hope to do in a year.

Amy is coordinating a bake sale on Thursday to raise money for medical exams for the kids in Kenya that she works with. And hey, I may not be able to ride a bike 40 miles but I can sure as heck bake for a good cause. So last night I made a double batch of Oreo Truffles. (AND DIDN'T EAT A SINGLE ONE, but that's beside the point.) This picture is from the Bakerella website where I found the recipe. I couldn't find any white chocolate coating so I dipped them in dark chocolate instead. Jeff claims that they are heaven wrapped in chocolate. And they're ridiculously easy!

Tonight I'm trying another Bakerella recipe for mini cherry cheesecakes. (Fortunately I'm not a cheesecake-person so these will not be tempting in the least. Again, beside the point.) How cute are these??? And again, easy as pie...er...cake. Hopefully these adorable treats will help Amy raise some serious cash!

Here's your sign

What would your sign say?

Eavesdropping

I was at the grocery store on Friday and overheard this conversation...

Two girls around 9 years old were returning a frozen dessert to the freezer case after clearly getting the "no-go" from the parent-in-charge.

Girl #1 - "You are soooooo good at sarcasm."
Girl #2 - "Thanks."
Girl #1 - "How'd you get so good at it?"
Girl #2 - "I dunno. Practice I guess."

Their parents are gonna have some rough teen years ahead...

Now why don't I ever get compliments like that?

Teething

Welcome to the start of a new series about my fav products...most of which will probably be for babies, sorry non-parents. But the next time you're invited to a baby shower, you'll be all set for gift ideas! Or vegan foods, sorry carnivores. But maybe one of these delicious discoveries might inspire you to start going meat free on Mondays. Either way, it's my blog so I get to do what I want to. So there. Wait, don't go. I'll try to write things you think are interesting too. I didn't mean that thing about it being my blog. Honest. Dooooooonnnn'tttt goooooo.

After years in retail, my least favorite thing to do is shop. Good for the pocket book, bad for the style. But I always manage to find time to shop for Ian. So, without further ado, here's my latest find!

First let me begin by saying that babies should be born with a full set of teeth. Teething is a mean thing to do to a baby. Our little guy got his first two teeth in rapid succession at 4 1/2 months. Now we see another pearl appearing where his upper incisor will be. Clearly Ian has not read the rules on when to get teeth (6-7 months) and which order they are to appear (bottom middle two followed by upper middle two THEN incisors). After several failed attempts, I have been determined to find a great teething toy for our cranky drool machine. This vibrating massaging steering wheel from Je Je seems to be just what the doctor ordered. Though it does up the drool factor from stream to puddle status, it's easy for him to hold and seems to make his gums feel better. Hooray!

My next mission will be to find absorbent bibs that have waterproof backs. It's always annoyed me that while collecting the puddles of drool, bibs also soak the shirt underneath. If I wanted a wet shirt, I wouldn't have put on the bib. Duh...

The High Price of Gas

I was talking to a gal who works for the Children's Cancer Association at a party the other day. When I asked how work was going, she told me it was very, very busy. That in itself is an overwhelmingly sad statement. But it's also tinged with joy because they do such great things for kids with cancer.

Such great things.

Then she told me that there has been a major shift in the work lately. Whereas they normally receive requests for wishes through their Dreamcatcher program, they are now being inundated with requests for financial assistance to pay for...

GAS!

Can you imagine the horror of not being able to drive your child to their myriad of doctor's appointments because you can't afford the gas? Keep in mind that the only 2 hospitals in the state that treat children with cancer are both in Portland. So if your child has cancer and you live in Medford or Eugene or Roseburg or wherever, you have to drive to Portland for treatment.

I just never thought about gas prices in those terms. Here I am, going about my little life, complaining about paying $4+ at the pump to run my trivial errands and drive the 8 miles to work. But the truth is, we don't actually NEED to drive anywhere. I could carpool. We could have groceries delivered. And you know what? As painful as it is, we have the money. Sure we make trade offs but in the end, we don't have that nagging worry in the pit of our stomachs about how we're going to pay for gas. We just forgo one of life's little luxuries to pay for flippin gas.

It looks like CCA has expanded their program to cover essential needs in addition to wishes. It's called the LifeSupport Family Enrichment Program. This change leaves me speechless. Once again I am praising God for the blessings in my life. I am so thankful that we had great insurance and a supportive employer during Lillian's battle. And that we lived within a half-hour of both of the pediatric oncology programs in the state. Even in this tragedy, there is so much I am thankful for. Which leaves only one more thing to say.

WE HAVE TO FIND A CURE.

You Too

I had a "you too" moment today. For those of you who don't know what that is, click here and enjoy.

Before I go any further, let me say that Brian Regan is one of the funniest humans to ever walk the face of the earth. And no, that is not an exaggeration. If you don't laugh out loud at that audio clip, you are clearly a robot or your name is Caroline.

Now where was I? Oh right, my "you too" moment.

The location: Chipotle
The cast: Cashier and me (aka the dufus)
The scene: I order lunch and the cashier hands me the bag.

And action...

"Enjoy!" said the cashier as he hands me the bag.
"You too," replied the dufus. "I mean, uh, have a nice day. Ugh."

End scene.

I hate it when I do that.

The Amazing Multi-Tasker

I am addicted to multi-tasking. I'll be the first to admit it. And like most addicts, that behavior does not end when I get behind the wheel. Oh please, like you don't dial your phone or change the radio station when you're driving. See, we all do it.

Today I was behind a white civic that brought multi-tasking to a whole new level. I first noticed her because she was brushing her long hair while driving. Granted, there is not much skill required there. But then I saw that the vanity mirror was down thereby impeding her visibility. This led me to believe that she may have been applying makeup as well but I cannot verify that. Regardless, driving and brushing without looking at the road requires a modicum of skill. Kudos to her.

Then her deft left hand flicked a butt out the window. Ugh, a smoker. Still, where does she find the hands? One on the brush, one holding the cigarette, how does she hold the steering wheel? It's one of those mysteries or life that I guess I'll never know the answer to. Sigh.

And then, it happened. She did something so...so...so unbelievable that it completely blew my mind. This deft multi-tasker sort of shuttered with her right hand as the car jerked toward the right lane. Quickly, she recovered to our lane. You see, not only was she driving, smoking and brushing her hair but...drum roll please...the car was a manual. So somehow she found a way to shift gears. She loses a couple of points for that erratic jerk toward the other lane but that's a small price to pay to achieve such excellence in multi-tasking. Don't you think?

It's a miracle that we all made it to where we were going.

Happy Father's Day

We just got back from a walk and decided to pick up the mail. Lo and behold, there was an envelope from our attorney...

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!

The Honorable Diana Stuart signed the General Judgment of Adoption on June 11, 2008. What an appropriate day to receive the news. Happy Father's Day!

Talent

The PSA shoot made for a unique afternoon. Normally I would have been sitting at my desk typing away on my computer gleaning warmth from the florescent lights and space heater. Yesterday, I was experiencing something new and fighting cancer. The shoot mostly involved standing around staring at the sun. Well, not the sun exactly. But the camera was up on a ladder so we had to stare in the general direction of the sun. So I will be the tall brunette in the yellow shirt winking at the camera. You can't miss me.

My dad also braved the journey into the Pearl district as well. (We burb dwellers believe the world ends at the tunnel.) We laughed when we were asked to sign "talent release forms." Ha, talent. If they only knew. At one point we were marvelling at the real actors who were exchanging cards and discussing agents. I told him I would be his agent but that I would expect 10% off the top. The sun must have been getting to him because my typically frugal father told me he'd be generous and give me 20%. Such a deal! Since we were "paid" in the form of a bright yellow Livestrong shirt, I'm waiting for my 20%-of-t-shirt-payment. That's got to be like a sleeve or something, right? I'm totally worth it. Through my brilliant agent skillz, he nearly got a speaking role. Okay, we were just standing there staring at the ground when he was asked to say "livestrong means never giving up." But as his agent, it is my responsibility to take credit for this breakthrough. Unfortunately it didn't make it onto film. And as his agent, it is my responsibility to blame him for that. Darn talent.

The most amazing part of this experience was discovering that the entire production was dependent upon the generosity of many talented people. Everyone involved donated their time in the name of cancer advocacy.

People are good.

THIS JUST IN! Holy moly Dad got a call back. He'll be speaking after all. I guess he has one of those trustworthy faces! Mom says he's the next Paul Newman. I can't wait for my 20% of his line of natural foods!!!

THIS JUST, JUST IN! My Mom is full of beans...

LiveStrong

My friend Katie posted info about a PSA shoot today in Portland for Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong foundation. They're looking for extras and since I've always considered myself to be extra-everything, I must go! So I'm ditching work early in order to make my small screen debut. Supporting cancer research while being in a commercial. Will wonders never cease?

Now, I must go buy new pants. I cannot be in a commercial amidst throngs of people whilst wearing old, baggy jeans now can I? I know no one will be able to see me let along my OBJ (old baggy jeans) in the commercial, stop lecturing me already. Sheesh. But I will know that I was wearing OBJ. So there. What? It makes perfect sense to me...

A size WHAT?!

After our whirlwind trip to La Pine, my left eye was twitchy and red. I decided that was my body's way of telling me to get some sleep. So for the entire week, I skipped my morning workout and slept in. But I continued to make good food choices hoping to offset the lack of workouts and keep any weight gains to a pound or two. I forced myself out of bed the last two days to work out. After eating a slice of pizza and 2 bread sticks at our Papa's Pizza fundraiser yesterday, I knew I needed to get a good sweat going. Nervously I stepped on the scale this morning and was overjoyed to find that I lost a pound! So now I only have 5 lbs to go until my goal! Or until I revise my goal...I haven't decided yet.

When I got my new haircut, I also decided to break down and buy a new pair of jeans. You know, a whole new look. I went to Nordie's and asked the first salesperson I saw to point me toward the longest jeans they had. As we approached the rack, she asked what size I wear.

"I don't know," I responded.

I'm sure that answer could not have been any more annoying.

"Well, what size do you NORMALLY wear?" she asked.

"I really don't know. I've recently lost quite a bit of weight and haven't bought any new clothes in 6 months. I would guess a 12 or 14?" I replied.

She glanced at me sideways, muttered her congratulations and pulled 3 pairs of jeans for me to try on. As she ushered me into the fitting room, she told me that she pulled a 14, a 12 and a 10...just in case. I laughed and rolled my eyes. Of course I started with the 14. Too big...I heave a sigh of relief. Then on to the 12. A little loose in the legs but not bad...I dance a happy little jig. Just for grins, I think I'll try on the 10. I'm sure it won't fit but I'll see how close I'm getting.

HOLY COW, IT FITS!!! The 10 freakin fits! And I can breathe and everything! I haven't been a size 10 since high school so I couldn't have been happier if it was a size 0. At this moment, the salesperson returns to see how I'm doing. I fling open the door with a huge smile.

"Wow, those look great," she says. "Which size are they?"

Sheepishly I respond "the 10."

And at that moment, she could have brought me ANYTHING in a size 10 and I would have bought it without question.

A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

Fortunately I had a haircut to get to. So I bought the jeans, cut off the tags, walked directly to the restroom, put them on and walked to my car feeling lean and strong. So this is what all that sweating was for!

Wanted: Bubble

Remember the good ole days? When KFC was still Kentucky Fried Chicken? When restaurants had smoking sections that were in the same open space as non-smoking? When kids could stretch out in the back window of the Buick during a long car trip?

Okay, maybe those weren't the good ole days after all. We were practically sticking our tongues out at death on a daily basis. It's a wonder we managed to live this long really.

So now we avoid trans fats and second hand smoke. Our cars have air bags and car seats have five point harnesses. The world is once again safe. Right?

Wrong.

Losing a child to cancer could easily send me into a downward spiral of germ phobia. And yes, I am admittedly more germ phobic than most. But I'm not quite ready to give up indoor plumbing for a life apart from civilization in the great outdoors. A girl has her limits. There are so many things that we know cause cancer. The aforementioned second hand smoke for example. Naturally, we avoid those clearly identified cancer causers. Naturally. But what is a girl to do when everything seems to carry a cancer warning label? EVERYTHING I tell you.

I belong to a yahoo group through our adoption agency and recently someone asked about the risks of nightlights. Apparently they heard that they were bad for kids but couldn't remember why. Being the complete moron that I am, I turned to the almighty world wide web for answers and promptly googled "nightlight dangers". And of course the words "may cause cancer" immediately popped up on the screen. What else would I expect? I think I could google* "butterfly dangers" and "may cause cancer" would appear. But back to nightlights. It seems that our bodies need darkness to produce melatonin, a hormone that prevents cancerous growth formation and development. Permanent bright light suppresses the production of melatonin. Now logic would say that nightlights are not bright lights. And logic would also say that a study conducted by the Russian Ministry of Healthcare should not be trusted. But logic, my friends, disappeared somewhere around the time my darling girl was diagnosed with cancer. So bye bye nightlight.

Next came the Canadian study revealing the risks of Bisphenol A (BPA). Apparently the lovely little ingredient that makes polycarbonate plastic clear and shatter-proof also has this minor side effect of causing cancer. And since most parents enjoy a clear, shatter-proof baby bottle, most manufacturers use polycarbonate plastic in their baby bottles. Again, I turn to my friend the world wide web for answers. With Lillian, we used the BPA-filled, fancy schmanzy Avent bottles recommended by our pediatrician. Our son, being the lazy sucker that he is, refused to use these hand me down bottles and instead uses the economical Playtex drop-ins. Not even the more expensive Playtex Premium drop in system, just the plain ole original bottles. Well two pats on the back for being cheap...uh I mean, being FRUGAL, because low and behold, our bottles do not contain BPA. Phew.

Then last week I decided to check out a package of Seventh Generation Chlorine-Free diapers. The earth-loving members of the adoption yahoo group had many discussions on their love of 7th Gen diapers. Apparently they work great and are better for the environment. So for once, I turned to the package for answers instead of the world wide web. But the same stupid words - "cancer causing" - practically reached off the package and slapped me in the face. Apparently the chlorine used to make our dear Huggies a beautiful shade of white also produces dioxin, a known cancer causing pollutant. So we are, of course, now the proud owners of a package of chlorine free diapers. And chlorine free wipes may be next! So much for those great bulk buys from Costco.

If we have learned so much since the good ole days, just imagine how the world will change by the time our children are parents. They will look back and wonder how they managed to live through their childhoods filled with polycarbonate bottles, chlorine bleached diapers, nightlights and WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE!!!

I will try to stay sane but not take unnecessary risks. Believe me, that is a very fine line. Does anyone know of a bubble for sale that we can live in? Anyone?

*I have to giggle that the blogspot spell checker indicates "google" is mis-spelled. Blogspot is a service of Google. Shouldn't they recognize the spelling of their own company?

Determination

Click on this link and be sure to watch the video.

This kid is amazing, there is no doubt about it. But he reminds me of nearly every kid with cancer I have ever met. They have determination, wisdom and joy beyond their years and circumstances. If kids with cancer ruled the world, what a different place this would be. Just imagine!

My Tuesday...

6:15am - Awoke sans alarm (man I love waking up on my own, even if it is at 6:15am)

6:17am - Working out with Jillian (of Biggest Loser fame, we're practically BFF's now)

7:00am - Weekly weigh in followed by much needed shower

7:30am - Giggle at the beautiful song Ian is singing to wake up his Daddy

7:45am - Finish packing a full change of clothes for myself and last minute supplies for Ian (I packed diapers, clothes, toys, books, bottles, formula, pacifiers, burp rags, bibs, blankets, gift for Ashley and camera the night before)

8:00am - Ian's first meal of the day is complete and he's ready to play

8:45am - Ask Jeff if he is ready to go knowing full well he's not

9:00am - Practically dancing on the ceiling to entertain Ian while Jeff finishes getting ready

9:05am - Grab the diaper bag, Ergo carrier, Ashley's gift, purse, changes of clothes for Jeff & I, coat and pictures and still manage to open the front door to find 2 doe's frolicking in our front yard

9:06am - Yell at Jeff to come quick and see the deer which somehow doesn't scare them off but does give Jeff a mini stroke

9:07am - Watching the deer, balancing the bags and trying to open the car door only to discover I left my keys in the house

9:08am - Jeff arrives at car with keys and baby in car seat seconds before I drop everything

9:10am - We hit the road as Ian sings us a little song

9:20am - Ian finally asleep

9:44am - Ian's awake and NOT happy about it

9:47am - My ear drums are bleeding and Jeff decides to turn on the radio miraculously calming Ian down

10:45am - We unknowingly pass the last known civilization we'll see for the next hour just as Ian begins to wake, again

11:00am - Jeff holds the pacifier in Ian's mouth while driving

11:10am - I hold the pacifier in Ian's mouth from the front seat silently cursing his inability to suck on a pacifier by himself

11:30am - Still looking for civilization

11:45am - Where the HECK is a FRIGGIN restaurant?!

12:00pm - Civilization, at last!!! We stop at the only restaurant in "town" to feed Ian and take a break from the car

12:30pm - Ian urps substantially on me and the restaurant carpet, fortunately the bib saved his ensemble

12:45pm - Change Ian's diaper in the back of the car and hit the road again after after deciding not to change my clothes so early in the day - there will undoubtedly be more spit up incidences and I only brought 1 change of clothes.

1:10pm - The novelty of the car has definitely worn off and Ian is ready to get out NOW

1:15pm - Arrive in LaPine and greet Ashley, her dad, her grandpa, her youth pastor, his wife & kids

1:16pm - Ian meets Ashley's grandpa and the picture taking begins

1:18pm - Ashley's turn, more pictures

1:30pm - Ashley's other grandma & grandpa arrive

1:45pm - Friends of Ashley arrive

2:00pm - Ian is ready for a nap and is letting everyone know it, I put him in the Ergo and head outside to cool him off and calm him down

2:05pm - He's asleep (praise the Lord!)

2:20pm - Hand off the sleeping star to Ashley to enjoy

2:30pm - He's awake, ugh

2:45pm - More friends of Ashley arrive

3:15pm - Ashley reluctantly hands off Ian to her Dad so that she can get ready for graduation

3:20pm - Ian's unhappy again

3:22pm - Ian gets another meal

3:45pm - More urping on Mommy, super.

4:00pm - More friends of Ashley arrive

4:30pm - Ian's birthfather's mom and brothers arrive

4:40pm - Ashley departs for graduation prep

5:15pm - I load Ian in the Ergo for another quick nap

5:45pm - Ian will not allow me to sit but I am thankful that he can get a little snooze even if I have to stand and bounce

5:50pm - He's up!

6:00pm - Another meal for Ian

6:20pm - Urp. on. mommy. again. ugh. This time he got himself really well too so...

6:22pm - Full wardrobe and diaper change for Ian

6:45pm - Off to the high school for graduation

6:50pm - Park at the ELEMENTARY school and walk to the high school

7:00pm - Ian takes in the crowd of 2000 people through opening remarks, the national anthem, 2 speeches and a slide show

7:45pm - Ian's getting restless during speech #3 so we break out the books and toys

8:10pm - Ian is D-O-N-E or at least on the edge, we make a break to the hallway and load him in the Ergo hoping he'll catch another snooze

8:15pm - Ian's out, thankfully

8:35pm - Graduation ends and the flood of people begins flowing our direction

8:45pm - We find Ashley, her family and Ian's birthfather's family for final pictures and goodbyes

9:00pm - We walk back to the car and hit the road

9:15pm - Cursing ourselves at not stopping in LaPine to feed Ian (and ourselves) as there is NOTHING around

9:30pm - Find a lit parking lot, change Ian in the back of the car and feed him as his eyes roll back in his head

9:45pm - Jeff is desperate to get a burp out of this kiddo so we can hit the road already

9:50pm - Burp accomplished, seat belts fastened, stuff is EVERYWHERE but we're off!

10:30pm - White out conditions over the pass - isn't this supposed to be JUNE?!

11:00pm - Pay $4.19 for regular unleaded.

11:30pm - My eyes keep crossing from exhaustion; Jeff is driving and existing merely on a diet of water and gum after missing the primary food exits.

12:55am - We pull in our driveway.

12:56am - Jeff unloads Ian as I ready his double swaddle

12:57am - Double swaddle installed and Ian is finally in his own crib.

1:00am - Face washed, jammies on, mommy & daddy crash in our own bed. Ahhhhhhh. (Remind me again why people stay up this late voluntarily?)

The bottom line? It was a long, hard day. But it was also a reminder of how many people love Ian. He is so blessed to have a birth family who adores him in addition to our family! It was so good to see everyone but thank God high school graduation only happens once.

Updates

Ahhhh, thanks for your encouragement on my new do. Seriously, you all are 2 sweet 2 be 4 gotten. One of the best parts about short hair is super fun bed head!

We are off to not-so-sunny LaPine for Ian's birthmom's graduation tomorrow. Most of her friends and family have not seen Ian since he was born so it will be fun for her to show him off. We're going to attempt to drive there during his morning nap, attend a bbq, attend graduation at 7pm and then drive home. That means Ian will miss his usual afternoon nap(s). Yikes! Plus a very long day for Jeff and I. Pray for us!

Lastly, I want to remind you about our fundraising event at Sweet Tomatoes restaurant in Beaverton tomorrow. Don't forget to bring the flyer! We also have also added some new drawing items to our fundraising efforts. Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. E-mail me for more information at walkingwithangels@gmail.com.

• Ergo Baby Carrier system - Three piece carrier system includes carrier, front pouch and backpack valued at $147. From infancy to toddler, this baby carrier will meet all your needs in the front, back or hip positions. The innovative design enables Moms and Dads to be hands free and remain active and productive in their daily lives.


• Private Wine & Cheese Tasting for 8 - You and 7 guests are invited to a wine and cheese tasting at Thirst Wine Bar & Bistro, Portland's premier wine bar specializing in Pacific NW wines and food. You will be treated to four Pacific NW wines and a guided tasting by Thirst's Wine Director and Executive Chef.


• Weekend Getaway in Bend - Package includes a luxury condo rental at Mt. Bachelor Village Resort and dinner for 2 at one of Bend's finest restaurants.