Summer Lovin’

In my last post, I wrote quite a bit (in as positive way as possible) about how it was difficult to make plans due to Rory’s nap and erratic sleep schedule.  Rory’s 4^th-7^th months were rough on all of us.  I went back to work at 4 months, and we struggled with sleeping during the day and night through April.  We had a few rounds of illness, it was cold and dark, and overall, we were not our best selves despite our best efforts.

Then, something wonderful happened…..

Late spring and summer arrived in Fort Collins.  It’s amazing what better weather does for your mood when you’re feeling stir-crazy and slightly confined to your house.  Rory needs his morning naps, which can limit our plans on the weekends.  But, while he’s sleeping, we can play outside!   That has made all the difference in the world on all of our moods.  Rory gets better sleep and we are all less resentful of his naps. Suddenly, I felt like we were better able to plan our days and commit to outings or social engagements.   It’s like we suddenly surfaced from the sea of unpredictability.

So, summer has been a huge blessing to our family.  We feel much more like the family we want to be – social, active, connected – now that the weather is nice.  

Are you humming “Summer Nights” from Grease yet?  That song is popping into my head as I write about loving summer time. 

Summer lovin' had me a blast   /   Summer lovin' happened so fast

I met a girl, crazy for me   /   I met a boy, cute as can be

Summer days driftin' away to uh-oh those summer nights

Summer lovin' had me a blast :  We’ve had quite a few adventures this summer – some bigger than others.

• ·         Visiting McPherson for birthday parties, the All School’s Day Parade, Baldwin Family reunion, hay-rides,  playing with cousins, and more
• ·         Bike riding – Eric and I have gotten a couple of rides in together.  And, Harper has learned to ride her tricycle
• ·         BBQs in the back yard with friends
• ·         Splash park and pool time
• ·         Hikes to waterfalls, streams and rivers, and “humongous mountains” (according to Harper)
• ·         Visiting Snow Mountain Ranch (YMCA of the Rockies in Winter Park) with cousins
• ·         Daddy-daughter camping trip
• ·         Tasting grass, sticks, rocks, sand, etc. (Rory’s primary summer activity)

Summer lovin’ happened so fast:  Summer always goes by so quickly, but I feel more acutely aware of it when I see the developmental milestones Rory and Harper pass on a daily/weekly basis. 

• ·         Harper is in a “watch me” phase – we “watch” her do all sorts of crazy acrobatics and tasks.  “Isn’t that amazing?” she asks.
• ·         Rory went from siting in one spot (where you put him) to crawling EVERYWHERE in one day.  He has found every wire, lamp, bit of fuzz, etc. that we don’t want him to find.
• ·         Harper turned 3 on July 19.  She is now “a big girl”.  I’m not sure what happened to my baby.  She has long hair and is so tall and articulate.  Not a baby anymore at all.
• ·         Rory is babbling up a storm.  We are quite sure his first word may be “Harper”, but it’s not officially confirmed.  We hear lots of sounds.  He’s especially fond of blowing raspberries.

I met a girl, crazy for me – I will change this to “crazy for turning three”.  Our summer has been defined by her birthday.  We started talking about “when I’m three” months ago, and it is still the topic of conversation weeks later.  We celebrated for an entire week with both sets of grandparents and several of Harper’s friends.  She was so excited about everything!

I met a boy, cute as can be – Rory is really starting to develop his personality.  He is a fairly laid back little guy who entertains himself pretty well.  He loves to take things out of boxes or buckets and clap them together.  His favorite toys right now are pulling all the pieces out of puzzles and playing with his sister’s toy house.  He likes flushing the play toilet.  Rory babbles a lot and has a very ornery and flirtatious smile. 

Summer days driftin’ away to uh-oh those summer nights – Nice evenings mean playing outside in the back yard, taking walks to the park, or hanging out in the neighborhood.  We often are surprised by the time when we check it, so getting kids to be on time has been a challenge.  And, even though it is light later in the evening, Eric and I are usually so pooped by the time Harper and Rory go to bed, we don’t get to take advantage of the extended time.  Summer nights for us are most enjoyable when our precious little ones are sleeping peacefully and we get to go to bed early.  

Now that it is almost August, I’m already mourning the end of summer. However, we are in a much different state now and I’m optimistic that we can continue in a positive way throughout the fall and winter.   

Well-a, well-a, well-a, ugh……………………..

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

The Remote Control of Life

 

It’s time for another post.  Fitting these in is increasingly difficult.  But for a rare moment, I have both kids asleep.  And, while there are other things I could be doing, I feel inspired today to write and reflect on our lives.

In my last post, I was just getting ready to return to work.  We’ve made that transition fairly successfully, although life feels very busy.  Our daily lives feel like they are scheduled to the max with little wiggle room.   However, we also find ourselves in a state of not really being able to make many plans, as we don’t know how Rory will sleep from day to day.  So, in that way, we are more spontaneous than we’ve ever been.  It’s such an interesting balance.

I feel as though our lives run without a lot of our own control at times.  It’s almost as if someone else has the remote and from time to time s/he likes to push a new button just to shake things up.  I wish I was able to hold onto the remote more, so that I could dictate the pace of life.  For example….

Play – This may be our every-day, routine pace.  The pace is by nature pretty quick, and it starts early in the day and ends as early as possible in the evening.  My desire with a “play” button isn’t necessarily to change our routine of life.  But, maybe a “play” button could function as a prompt for making more time for guilt-less play or relaxation without feeling like I have so much else to do.

Rewind -  All too often, Harper will say or do something absolutely hilarious, and I want her to do it again (either for me or for someone else).  It’s never quite the same even if the action or statement can be repeated.  Rory does funny things too now, and I sometimes am like “darn, I wish I caught that on video or camera!”  Wouldn’t a rewind button be nice?  Or, a daily highlight reel like on ESPN Sports Center?

Fast-Forward – Life with two children under the age of three isn’t easy.  At times it is down-right exhausting and HARD (like when we have sick kiddos).  Rory’s sometimes erratic nap schedule (it depends on the day) makes it difficult to make plans.  We’ve had to reschedule or cancel plans with friends many times due to the unpredictable nature of our life.   And, Rory still wakes at least once at night for feeding and comfort.  I love breast-feeding, but it is exhausting and hard on my body to give so much to him.  Harper is gaining independence, which is awesome.  And, it sometimes makes us feel like we are herding cats to get her out the door or to pick up toys, etc.  Some days, everything feels like a negotiation.  Sometimes, I feel like I wish we could just get through a certain stage, be it an illness or developmental milestone.

 And, yet, these are precious times.  While life will be easier when Rory sleeps through the night and takes only one nap a day, I do not want to wish away his baby-hood for anything in the world.  The other night, as I was feeding and comforting Rory at midnight, I was struck by how much I could loathe a moment (when I am so tired) and never want it to end, all at the same time. 

The same goes for Harper.  She is really growing up.  She is incredibly smart (not trying to brag here) and is figuring out the world in her own way every single day.  The openness, curiosity, and innocence with which she approaches each day is beautiful.  I dread the day she get her feelings hurt by a friend, or feels ashamed by her body, or feels pain or loss.  I know I cannot protect Harper or Rory from those things, and I wouldn’t want to because they are part of the journey of life.  But wow,  life is pretty precious when you’re two (almost three) or 7 months, and all you feel or know about  the world is love and wonder.

I think above all else, what I’d really like on my remote control is a giant PAUSE button.  I wouldn’t want to use it indefinitely.  But, a button to slow down the precious moments and allow me to savor them, share them, and reflect on them would be so wonderful. 

 

 

Double the Pleasure, Double the Fun…..

Happy New Year!  We hope that you rang in the New Year just as we did; with deep gratitude for the blessings of 2013 and eager anticipation of adventure and growth in 2014.

My last blog entry was in the summer, prior to Rory’s (formerly Baby Rocket’s) arrival.  I fully intended to post again after his birth, but it was all I could do to get an email and FaceBook message out.  There was not much time for writing with an infant and a two-year-old, that is for sure.  So, here we are, in the new year.  I don’t really have much more time, but writing is important to me, so I’m making a priority today.

Rory Baldwin Richards arrived on Monday, September 23^rd at 8:28am.  Living up to his name of “Baby Rocket”, he blasted into the world via an extremely fast and intense labor and birth.  All was well and safe and healthy – just fast!  Since his arrival, we’ve been adjusting to being a family of four.  Harper is a wonderful big sister.   I cannot believe how mature she has handled his arrival.  Yes, she gets jealous when I am feeding him and cannot play chase or hide-n-seek.  But, she is quite patient (for a 2-year-old) and she loves him.  She reads to him, translates his cries and sounds for us, helps pick out his clothes and diapers, and showers him with hugs and kisses.  My heart just swells when I see the two of them interact.  Rory loves watching Harper, and he smiles so much when she pays attention to him.  Eric and I both try to make sure we’re making time for both children (esp. Harper), and we’re **trying** to make sure we have time for each other.  That’s difficult right now, but we know it is important and are working on that.

Transitioning to a family of four has been good, but boy, does it require some planning, patience, and flexibility.  Here is an example of a typical evening:

·         Eric returns from work at 5:30.  I have something started for dinner, but am probably trying to cook, play with Harper, and possibly feed Rory at the same time.  I think I need a clone or a third arm.

·         Dinner is ready either around 6 if I have not had to feed Rory while cooking, or 6:30 if I had to break to nurse him.  If I haven’t fed him yet, he often wants to eat right when I sit down and scoop dinner onto my plate.  Meanwhile, Harper needs to go potty (potty training is going very well) and wash her hands.  This sometimes can take 5-10 minutes, depending on if a book is required for successful completion of potty time.

·         We eat. Hopefully we eat all together, but sometimes I am feeding Rory at the dinner table and scarfing down food after the others are done. 3 out of 4 of us eating is the goal.

·         Quick clean up of dishes (often piling up some to do later…) and play before baths

·         One of us bathes Harper, playing a variety of imaginative, active games.  The other bathes Rory, who LOVES his bath.  He loves being without clothes in general.

·         We try to read books and get Harper tucked into bed while checking on her (she needs lots of “checks” these days) while I feed Rory and get him down.  If both kids are in bed by 8:30, this is an accomplishment. 

·         Whew!  I try to go to bed as early as possible.  We haven’t yet have to start washing/packing bottles and packing lunch for me.  That will occur after bed-time once I return to work next week.

Double the pleasure, Double the fun.  Double the pace at which we run.

In addition to feeling like things are rushed, we also notice many things just don’t get done.  If we can have clean laundry, a supply of diapers, and food to eat, we are happy.  Other tasks like vacuuming, etc. happen if there is time.  No guarantees.

Even “fun” projects are hard to squeeze in.  For example, we bought ourselves a tv for a family Christmas present.  We’d been planning on buying it for a long time.  When did we do it?  Christmas Eve.  And is it up yet?  No- still in the box.  It sure looks nice….

Double the pleasure, Double the fun.  Double the stuff that’s not getting done.

We do, however, have a great little helper in Harper.  She LOVED wrapping presents with me and making tasty holiday treats.  She also helped Eric a lot in putting together her brand new big-girl bed.

 It’s really all about priorities.  I’m a little bit type A, but I am learning to let some things go and enjoy the precious stage we are in.  Nothing compares to:

·         cuddling with a sweet, sleepy Rory

·         singing, dancing, and making up imaginary stories and games with Harper

·         making Rory smile by playing simple games

·         exploring the park, museum, grocery  store, etc. through Harper’s eyes and hearing her insightful observations

·         watching the two of them interact, on a very basic level, with such pure love

·         playing nonsensical games together as a family

I may not be planning exotic vacations or making gourmet dinners as I did in my previous life, but that is okay for now.  I’m okay with dust bunnies.  Moments like those above are what make my life rich and full. 

Double the pleasure, Double the fun.  We’re doubly grateful for this trip around the sun.

 

 

Yes, No, Maybe, I Don't Know, Whatever, OK

Yes, No, Maybe, I don’t know, Whatever, Ok.

Summer 2013 Blog update

 

Ahhhh, summer.  My idealist side always fantasizes about days filled with drinking limeades, playing outside in the many fun spaces our community offers, bike-rides for ice cream, and back-yard BBQs.  Of course, we do all of those things in the summer, but not always as often as we want to.  That always leaves us feeling like we have to frantically pack lots of summer fun into the month of August, before the weather starts to change into a more “fall” feel.

And, summer at our house also brings Harper’s birthday!  She turned 2 on July 19.  We’ve been acting like a 2-year-old for a few months now, as we have entered the “I want to do it myself” stage.  Eric and I are learning to be very creative with our motivating strategies.  And, we are also learning to be very patient, which is easier some days than others. 

As any of you who have small children or can remember from raising small children, the mind of a 2-year-old is a very complex thing.  In the course of a single 30-second time span, the simple question of “are you ready to eat dinner?” can generate responses of

·         “Yes!” jumping and clapping

·         “Nooooooooo” with a very furrowed brown and pouty lip

·         “Maybe” (“later” often added to this remark) typically while not looking up from whatever is occupying her attention at the time

·         “I don’t know” when she’s taking a blankie break and cuddling on the floor or couch

·         “Whatever”.  Harper doesn’t say “whatever” exactly, but if she is feeling cooperative but distracted, I would say she is thinking “whatevs….”

·         “Ok Daddy” or “Ok Mommy”.

Because Harper’s thoughts and opinions change on a whim, we sum it up into “yesnomaybeIdon’ tknowwhateverok”

The mind of a two year old is complex indeed.  But, essentially, don’t we all feel that way sometime?  I feel like that phrase is very applicable for our life at this transitional stage as well.

YES:

We’ve experienced a big transition together as a family this summer, as Eric recently switched jobs.  Eric really enjoyed the work at his former company, thus the decision making was hard.  But, the “YES” has been a very positive move for our family.  He accepted a job at a small, local, Fort Collins engineering firm.  He is one of 3 engineers in the office.  And, it is in Old Town Fort Collins.    With baby Rocket on the way this fall, we both agreed that this seemed like a wonderful time to make the move and eliminate the 25-30 minute one-way daily commute.  He’s been working in town now for a little over a month, and while he has been working a lot trying to get himself established in his new role, we love the fact that he can bike to work a few times a week, flex his schedule to accommodate Harper-care when needed, and just be home earlier for dinner in the evenings.  Big Yes!

P.S.  Eric also passed his HUGE engineering licensing exam (2 8-hour tests – yuck!) this year, which is a great accomplishment.  Be sure to congratulate him next time you speak with him. 

Other big “Yes” moments in the past few months:

·         Blowing out birthday candles on her birthday (she was sooooo into it)

·         Bonding with cousins Gavin and Norah on family vacation – the three played so well together, it was remarkable

·         Enjoying a family music class together – so fun!

·         Spending more time outdoors – most of the time barefoot- in the yard, at the park, exploring kid-friendly places in town (kite festival, outdoor concerts, ice cream shops, backyard sandbox and garden, BBQs and more)

NO:

“Harper, do you want to wear the orange shirt or purple shirt today?”  “No.” 

“Harper, do you want to wear sparkle shoes or sandals today?”  “No.”

I tell my students all the time when I am working with them on major/career exploration, that sometimes the process of elimination is easier than the choice of selection.   I find it is almost always easier to say what I don’t want to eat at a restaurant, than select between the 2-3 options I’ve narrowed it down to. 

In a complicated world of options and difficult questions, we appreciate the fact that one “answer” remains constant for us:

Do we want to find out the sex of baby Rocket?         NO!

Sorry, you all will just have to wait too.  We win with either a girl or boy, and we can’t wait to share the news when we know it ourselves.

MAYBE:

In addition the formality of Harper turning 2, we’ve felt like this summer is a big developmental milestone for her.  She’s maturing so quickly and is becoming much more of a little girl than a baby.   She’s always been a very good communicator, but we are astounded at the words, sentences, phrases, songs, etc. that come out of her mouth on a daily basis.   Her rapid changes and maturation have left Eric and I scratching our heads with questions like:  “should we start potty training?”   maybe…….  “should we transition to a toddler bed?”    maybe…..   “should we allow her to ‘help’ make scrambled eggs despite the massive mess?”    maybe (although the answer is yes)…..  So many changes and questions for all of us. 

I DON’T KNOW:

September 30, baby Rocket’s official due date, is approaching quickly.   As baby Rocket and I continue to blossom, we are asked more and more questions about our readiness to add a newborn to our family.  Of course we are excited; we wouldn’t have embarked on this adventure if we didn’t want to expand our family.  But “ready” is such a loaded word.  How will we know what “ready” feels like?  Are we ready to sleep less?   Get another human up and ready and out the door to go places?  Are our hearts prepared to love baby Rocket as much as we love Harper?  Are we ready to feel the overwhelming vulnerability and responsibility of adding another person to the planet?

The truth is, if we are honest with ourselves, the answer to all the questions is “we don’t know”.  We don’t know who baby Rocket will be; what her/his needs will be like; how we all will adjust to each other.    All we know at this point is that we’re on this rocket ship, blasting off into the universe of a 2-child family, and we have great faith that it all will work out.

WHATEVER:

Projects at our house take a long time.  They always have, they always will, and they especially do now.  Eric and I both would much rather spend our time playing than doing projects around the house, which makes it hard to get anything done.   We have a whole list of “to-dos” to accomplish before baby Rocket arrives.   We even gave ourselves deadlines at the beginning of the summer to try to kick-start the process.  And, of course, we are falling behind.

Oh, well.

Would it be nice to have closets cleaned out, the guest/new baby room totally decorated in a cute way, and have frozen meals stocked in the freezer, “ready” for the baby to come?  Ummmmm.  Yea!

Will it happen?  Ummmmm, No.

We need to get the infant car seat and a few newborn items out of the attic.  Those are musts.  We’ll see what happens with the rest.  Our “fun” times with Harper on the weekends are just too precious to trade in for “tasks”

OK:

Just like all the “flip-flopping” Harper does with her daily choices, we know that in the end, we will all be ok, despite all of the uncertainty we face as a family in the coming months.

Will life feel harried, busy, scattered, chaotic, crazy and at times out-of-control?  Of course….

Will we also feel expanded joy, love, excitement, satisfaction and contentment?   I am certain.

All of those feelings, situations, and challenges are what make life the grand adventure it is. 

We will all be ok.......We are certain because we have such a wonderful, loving network of family and friends.

Sending our love,

 

Haley, Eric and Harper

Welcome spring!  It’s time for our quarterly update from the Richards household.  Are you ready?

Our winter months were fairly low key.  Eric has been studying for his Structural Engineering Licensing Exam, which he takes/took April 13.  That means 4-5 hours a week with his nose to the books, working engineering practice problems.  Most of his study time was allocated to nap times and after Harper’s bed time.  But it still was a drain on him and our family.  I have maintained my 4 day a week work schedule, which is terrific.  I’ve also been working on some crafty projects (baby gifts for friends and family, cards for a card-swap) and tending to the majority of household chores (so Eric can study). 

We snuck away to Breckenridge for a long weekend in February.  We had a terrific time playing outside with friends.   Harper got to learn her first lesson about changing weather in the mountains.  We took a snowshoe hike that started out lovely and turned windy, cold, and snowy about an hour in.  Our plan was to turn around at the 45 minute mark, so at that point, I left the group and headed back to the car with Harper on my back.  When the temperature dropped and wind picked up, I started running, which is NOT an easy or graceful thing to do on snowshoes.  Despite a few whimpers, Harper was very strong, and I praised her mountain-goddess toughness.  The real trouble was at the car, when my fingers were partially frozen (b/c I had forgotten my nice winter gloves on the trip and just had light ones) and I struggled to unlock the doors, unhook the baby carrier, and load her in her car seat.  I think we both shed a few tears, but we survived.  Harper was even game for going out to play in the snow the next day.  What a trooper she is!  She actually really loved riding in the sled around the neighborhood we stayed in. 

In March, we traveled to Kansas on 2 occasions – once to Wakeeney and once to McPherson.  We had a great time catching up with grandparents and cousins.  The weather was not exceptionally pleasant for either trip, so we didn’t get to do some of the fun “Kansas” adventures we had hoped for.  However, just having time with family is so nice for all of us.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to connect with many of our extended family or friends.  There’s always so much to do and so little time to fit it all in to. 

 

Easter was a big even in our household.  We weren’t sure how or if Harper would enjoy hunting for eggs.  But, boy, was it a fun game.  We “hid” an Easter basket for her in the morning, which she found right away and squealed with delight when she realized there was PlayDoh in it.  She also spent a large part of the day outside hunting for eggs; “hiding” and re-hiding them over and over and over.  What great fun! 

Eric and I don’t feel like we change a lot from month to month, but boy do we notice the changes in Harper.  She’s such an amazing gift in our lives, and a fascinating science experiment.  Some of the milestones we’ve noticed in the last few months:

·         A wee bit of attitude.  I feel like she was very, very laid back until her 18 month birthday.  It was as if on that day she decided to be a toddler instead of a baby.  She now has opinions about everything – food, shoes, what cup to use.  It’s hilarious and makes for interesting negotiations.

·         Running, walking on tip-toes, walking backward, spinning, dancing, and just generally moving… all the time.  Harper is pretty cautious at the playground and with things like stairs, tall objects (couches), etc.  She’s thus far not much of a climber.  But she definitely is on the move, all the time.  We love watching her get across the floor or yard using her jubilant and slightly out-of-control run. 

·         Teeth, feeding herself, and having strong food preferences.  We went from 7 teeth to now 10-12 (I lose count) within about a month.  Molars are coming in and it seems like she’s constantly teething.  Harper is perfecting using her spoon and fork (sometimes both at the same time), and she is expressing strong opinions about her food.  A couple of weeks ago, we made a Thai noodle dish that I thought she wouldn’t like.  She tried it and expressed “yummy, yummy” in a loud voice.  The next day, we had left-overs, and she wouldn’t even open her mouth to try it.   Luckily, she’ll almost always devour her veggies, she will always, always eat cheese and yogurt (plain), and if all else fails, she fills up on her trail mix of “O’s (cheerios), berries (raisins) and goldfish”.

·         Talking, talking, and talking.  We don’t like to brag about Harper, but she seems to be pretty gifted in the communication department at this point in life.  She has too many words to count, and she can now speak in simple sentences.  We hear things like “Harper ride blue car” when we’re loading up to go somewhere.  Or, we hear “don’t want to” when we ask her to do something she doesn’t want to do.  She can join in the singing of songs like “Twinkle Twinkle” or the “Hokey Pokey”, and she also can “read” to us certain parts of her favorite books.  One of my favorite things is listening to her when she’s just waking up.  She often sings herself songs, or repeats lines of books we read prior to nap or bed time over and over.  It’s so sweet. 

If you made it this far, I commend your attention span.  And, I’ll reward you with a bit of exciting news.  Come fall, Harper will no longer be the only subject of our blog.  Eric and I are excited to announce that we will be welcoming baby #2 in late September / early October.  We’ve nick-named this baby “Rocket” because we were a wee bit surprised in how quickly Rocket came, AND because we feel like we are just about to BLAST OFF into an even more crazy, busy, and joyful adventure in parenthood.

 

 

 

If Celebrities Were Like Us…..

As we shared with many of you, ever since Harper’s birth 17 months ago, we have become the proud recipients of US Weekly magazine.   We don’t know how or why we get it or who pays for it, but every Friday, it arrives in our mailbox.

Now, my guess is that most of you know what US Weekly is because you sneak peaks at the headlines in the checkout lines at the grocery store (admit it, you do).  But, if you grow all your own food and don’t shop at grocery stores, I will enlighten you:  US Weekly is a celebrity gossip magazine.  It’s terrible.  I feel like I lose brain cells every time I look at it.  And, much like a vegetarian has a hard time resisting bacon, I cannot keep from looking though it every week.  Every week.  I’m addicted. 

One of the sections of the magazine that I find most hilarious is the section titled “Stars, They’re Just Like Us”.  It features photos taken by paparazzi of important celebrities doing “ordinary” things.  Apparently “ordinary” consists of things like, you know, buying fancy coffee for a friend (or 10 friends), bagging their own groceries (at gourmet specialty food shops), or reading a book on the beach (in Rio). 

One day a couple of months ago, I started thinking; if celebrities were REALLY like us, what would we see photos of them doing?  Here are a few of the things I thought of that I’d like to see in US Weekly.

·         If celebrities were like us, they would … acquire 90% of their kids’ clothes from hand-me-downs, garage sales, & thrift stores.  Celeb babies Suri Cruise and Harper Beckham would surely turn up their noses.  But, we feel so lucky to have benefactors a year or two ahead of Harper who hand down a lot of nicely used things.  And, what she doesn’t have we find at thrift stores most of the time.  Poor thing, she’ll probably grow up thinking she’s poor.  But, really, until she cares where her clothes come from (which will come all too soon we’re afraid), we think she can wear gently used clothing because she’ll just outgrow it in a month or two anyway. 

·         If celebrities were like us, they would … splurge on lavish date-nights watching tv shows in their sweat pants. We do go out occasionally and line up a babysitter.  But, the easiest and most common date night for Eric and I is when we put the to-do list on pause and watch a tv show in our sweat pants on the couch.  Seriously, it’s just easier.  We do typically have a glass of wine or some type of tasty dessert; does that make it any more Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie-like?   Maybe we should invest in some more glamorous sweat pants (see point # 3).

·         If celebrities were like us, they would … wear worn-out, stretched out, out-dated, and just generally unstylish clothes.  Almost daily, Eric or I make a comment about how long we’ve owned something, how shabby something is looking, or how poorly something fits now-a-days.  And yet, given the choices we have of all there is to do with our weekends, going shopping is very low on our priority list.   The super-rich Kardashian family (not sure why else they’re famous), would be appalled by our choices.  Maybe we could hire one of those celebrity stylists or a personal shoper to take care of that for us?  One can dream, right?

·         If celebrities were like us, they would … make exciting family outings out of the simplest things.  Unlike the Hollywood babes, it really doesn’t take a lot to entertain Harper at age 17 months.  A walk in the park is full of wonder.   A trip to the grocery store is full of new faces to smile and wave at.  A trip to Old Town to get a “treat” is met with squeals of delight.  We know the attractions in our community are great, and I’m sure we’ll frequent them more often as Harper gets older and more interested in them.  But for now, we love the simple wonder she expresses with the smallest of things. 

·         If celebrities were like us …  they would love and treasure the memories they make as a family, like:

o   Hiking (Sherpa-ing Harper) up to gorgeous alpine lakes and rivers so that she can throw rocks in the water

o   Camping in a Yurt we had to snowshoe to on winter Yurt trip with friends

o   Driving back and forth to Kansas a half-dozen times or more to visit family members for occasions both joyous and sorrowful

o   Biking around town with our baby bike trailer pulling not only Harper but diaper bags, jackets, blankets, shopping items, etc. 

o   Singing songs and reading books over and over and over and over… until we know them by heart

o   Visiting friends in exotic locations like upstate New York and enjoying the beauty and power of Niagara Falls (photo below)

o   Watching Harper be completely enamored with her grandparents, cousins, aunt and uncle. 

If celebrities were like us, they would feel very blessed; VERY BLESSED INDEED. 

Wishing you all a wonderful, joyous, and blessed new year.  Happy 2013.

Love, Haley, Eric and Harper