I Love The Internet, Part 2

Piggybacking on my last entry, I tried to remember a song from an older Mitsubishi commercial. It was not the widely played "Days Go By" by Dirty Vegas, which I actually own the CD and bought it when it came out it 2000. It is a different song from a slightly newer Mitsubishi commerical than the Days Go By one. I could not find it on YouTube but I did find it on ask.com. It is a wonderful song, dance yet sentimental, from a car commerical where a Dad is driving a car and looking at his child in the carseat in his rearview mirror. He's watching his child as a baby and growing and growing and the music was sentimental to the theme. Well I've liked this song ever since I saw the commerical and I just found out that it's called "Breathe" by Telepopmusik and the commerical aired in the fall of 2002. Got that one on my iPod now too!

I Love The Internet!

Here I am, about to get ready for bed and flipping through the channels when something comes on that reminds me of that old DeBeers commercial "A Diamond Is Forever" and the classical music that plays in it, which I've always liked and never knew what the song was. So I goodsearched "a diamond is forever music" and it takes me to youtube where there are many of their commericals with that music on and I learn that the song is "Palladio Allegro" composed by Karl Jenkins. So I take this info to my iTunes store and get the song downloaded! Yea! Anyone who knows me knows that I love music and many different types from classical to new age to heavy metal. So I have yet another song on my iPod that I love! I love that I was able to figure this out and enjoy it!

Flea Market, Take 2

We made a trip to the county flea market this afternoon and today, it was successful. We tried yesterday but our SUV decided to die on us in the parking lot there when we arrived. It was pretty bad mostly because we had Andrina with us. But as usual, she handled it like a champ. Just playing with her bunny and "reading" a textured animal book. So our vehicle died, and just would not restart. I called Mercedes roadside assistance and they sent a technician out asap (and I let the operator know several times that we had our baby with and needed someone NOW) and would need room in their car for all of us and her car seat if we needed a ride, which I was assured was not a problem. While waiting for them to arrive, by some miracle, I got our car started (it had about 15 minutes to cool down which is probably why it restarted and was not a real miracle) and Tom raced to put Andrina back in her car seat, get her buckled up and himself in the car while we kept our fingers crossed that our car would actually get us all home, only 3 miles away. Our car did die again while at the first stoplight but I was able to get it started again. I called the tech and let him know that we were going to try and make it home. Which we did. But the funny yet exasperating thing was that our car died in the middle of our driveway when we did get it home. And there was no restarting it then, although none of us cared at that point. So it sat there until the tech arrived, filled out his paperwork and took me to the dealership to get a courtesy loaner while he arranged for a tow of our car. So after all of this debacle that started at about 1pm until 4 pm when our car was towed to the dealer's service center. And now we're driving around a loaner silver sedan, which I am very happy about. That is one of the really nice perks of having a more expensive make of car, they give you a free loaner whenever your car is getting serviced, even if it's for its routine oil change and inspection.

After all of that yesterday, I told Tom that I wanted to go to the flea market, again, today. Which we did in the loaner. And I am very pleased to say that there were no difficulties whatsoever. And my baby and I dressed in American colors since it's still 4th of July weekend. Andrina wore the same outfit as in this picture:

Isn't she just so cute?

I'm happy to say that for me and Andrina, the trip to the flea market was a good one. It was good for Andrina since she was out of the house and being carried around like royalty in the bjorn strapped to Daddy's chest. She really seems to enjoy the carrier and being able to see so much going on around her. I enjoyed the flea market not only because my daughter and husband did, but I also found a few things. I bought some homemade soap, which I've bought at flea markets before and love, and Tom and I bought some big bones for our dogs and some freshly popped kettle corn and a funnel cake (quintessential fair-type foods and so good we don't care if they are not healthy). Tom didn't have any luck though. He didn't find any old coins that he wanted to get. Maybe next month Hon. But we all still enjoyed the day anyways.

I'm Trying To Be Green

I have been trying to make some efforts to be more environmentally conscious. I'm having some success but not much. Here's what's working and what's not:

1) "Green grocery bags"-I bought 2 of them and had used them about 3 times each when one of the seams on one of the bags started to rip. I will need to sew it up for it to really be usable again.

1b) I often forget to take the green grocery bags to the store with me.

2) I drive a 6 cylinder SUV. Yes, I know it's a gas guzzler and the gas prices are awful. And if I lived in southern California my vehicle would probably have been torched by environmental terrorists by now. However as much as I'd like to drive a more fuel efficient vehicle, I don't think it's possible. We simply need a large vehicle because we have a very large German Shepherd dog (she's over 90 pounds of pure muscle, energy, and not too much as far as brains go...). And Tom and I both love the breed so I know we'll always have one. And, most importantly, I firmly believe that Andrina is safer in a larger vehicle as opposed to a compact car. And finally, being very short, I really like being higher up off the ground when I drive. It's like living a fairy tale where I can be like everyone else, as opposed to when I can't reach things on the top shelf at the grocery store and I have to climb up the shelves to reach it because I won't ask anyone for help!

2b) How about if Mercedes finally comes up with a fuel-efficient SUV? That would solve so many problems and I'd love it too!

3) Disposable diapers. When I was pregnant I wanted to use disposable diapers because I have so many memories of my own mother and her day to day life with cloth diapers. Using cloth diapers for my mom consisted of: dunking poo-poo filled diapers in the toilet to get the poop off, then rising them in scalding hot water, then soaking them in hot water with bleach, then finally washing them in hot water with bleach in the washing machine. Whew! I get tired and sick to my stomach remembering of all that. But I did have a little bit of environmental guilt over it. However, I read in a baby magazine (while still pregnant) that there is no winner as far as the environment is concerned when choosing how to diaper your baby. Yes, disposable diapers take up room in landfills. But, using cloth diapers uses up much more energy to heat up the water for washing them in hot water. Then to really kill the bacteria, you have to bleach them and of course bleach is not good for the environment (mainly ground water supply) anyways. So until baby is potty-trained, you are hurting the environment either way by simply having a baby, unless you don't use diapers at all and let them poo and pee wherever and whenever. Which is simply disgusting and a health hazard, no way I would ever do that!

4) Recycling. I am very good at recycling. We recycle all of our junk mail except for credit card offers. Those have to be completely destroyed for identity-theft prevention, all of our newspapers and magazines, and all plastics, glass, steel cans, and aluminum cans, even used aluminium foil gets recycled!

5) Trees. We have several trees on our property and we have only planted more since we moved here over six years ago. Also, I plan to add more trees to our back and front yards this fall. I also need to plant some rose bushes and some flowers bushes and flowers to replace some that died over our extremely cold winter this year. I plan to do that this fall too.

My Patriotic Daughter or Happy Independence Day!

Today to celebrate the 4th of July we had a cook-out and invited my side of the family. I wish April, John, and my adorable niece Anne could have come too but things are a bit hectic with some cancelled visiting for them. We missed you! Anyways, in the true spirit of being me, I had to make sure that Andrina had some clothes for this holiday. Here some pictures of her in her patriotic dress!

With Grandma

Having fun in the ball pit
More fun!

So we bbq'ed for a late lunch/early dinner and then before Andrina's bedtime, while it was still light out, we went out in the shade and Tom set off 3 ground-only fireworks for her. Before you call the parenting police on us, they were the kind that are totally legal in our state and we stayed a safe distance away from them. Andrina got to see and hear all 3 of them and she really enjoyed them, staring intently at the changing lights, sparks, and smoke and she even kicked her feet while watching them too.

Happy 4th of July Andrina! In the spirit of our country's birthday, I hope our country remains a place that will continue to treat you, and all females, as human beings with minds and bodies that are to be respected. Instead of treating us like breeding stock or walking incubators! As now that I have a daughter it is even more important to me that this country be a place where you are able to grow up and live in that is safe and where you can reach your full potential, regardless of your biological gender.

The Toddler Years Are Here

According to pediatricians, toddlerhood begins at 1 year of age or when a child is walking. Andrina is neither 1 year old (2 weeks to go!) and is not walking yet. But as far as my own opinion goes, she is no longer an infant, she is a toddler. Here's why I belive that my daughter is already a toddler:

1. She has already shown the independent/dependent ambivalance.

2. She has begun whining.

3. She has begun whining/screaming.

4. She threw her first "temper tantrum" (although it was quite mild and short) today.

So, today I myself cried like a baby. Or was that the anger of a toddler? I cried because I knew with her temper tantrum today, that her baby days are gone. Oh Andrina, how I have loved your infancy. I loved it so and really, really wished it would never end. Besides you being so tiny and incredibly cute as a baby (of course you are still BEAUTIFUL), what I loved most about it was the closeness we shared since I provided everything you needed. You needed me so much but now you are going to grow more indepenent and I am so scared that you will someday not need me at all and I will lose you. So many times I held you, cuddled you and you were content just to be in my arms. I know that with each of those moments, I wanted to freeze time and just cuddle you for all eternity. Now you need to learn and explore your world and I need to let you have that as you can handle it. And with that comes all the dangers that you were never exposed to while in my arms. How many times will you fall down and cry while trying to walk? How many times will there be something that can potentially harm you around? I have babyproofed my home to the max but you cannot spend the rest of your life inside our home and I know there will be times when you will get hurt nonetheless. Everytime I learn of something awful that happens to a child I beg God for that to never happen to you. Our world is such a dangerous place filled with horrible people, accidents, natural disasters and the idea that you could suffer from anything fills me with such pain and dread that I cannot describe. I love you so intensely that I cannot imagine my life without you in it. I cannot ever let anything ever harm you but there is no real way I can guarantee that. Everything that your toddler years will bring: whining, screaming, temper tantrums, potty-training, all of that will be in-the-moment frustration for me. And there will be times when I will want to have someone else deal with that when they arise and I will be frustrated and want to escape. But it is the dangers that you will be exposed to and your growing independence that really make me dread this phase of your life. So I have verbalized it and I own it. I will cheer you on with all of your accomlishments and help you to achieve more while all the time loving and cherishing you. Let's make a deal, I will do all of that for you and I need you to always be safe and love me and need me, ok?

Her Own Ball Pit!

Yes, I sometimes overdo things for Andrina. I could not help but buy her her very own ball pit. Actually, it's more like a tent that came with 100 big plastic balls. But it has 200 balls in it since I bought extra balls too. I decided that since she can't use her baby swing anymore, the ball pit could take it's place in our family room. More like Andrina's playroom with a TV and 2 couches in it. Here's some pictures of her enjoying her new toy! Side note, I had to get in there with her to take the pictures.

Having so much fun I'm shouting!

Now I don't know if I like this...
I'm too much of a big girl to be laying down doing nothing, gotta get up!

I've had enough

Really, I am leaving now