Lori Romano

365 Project - Day 273 - Goodbye Blogger

2011-06-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have been fed up with Blogger for awhile now. If you are a complete computer and internet novice looking to start a blog, then it might be right up your alley. But, if you're looking to do a little something more with your blog and have any interest in tweaking it to make it uniquely your own, you would be much better off going somewhere else.

In short, Blogger just has too many issues for my taste.

So, I am finally jumping ship and moving to Wordpress. Eventually, I will also be upgrading the blog to be more of a website, since I want it to eventually be my writing website--a place to display some of my work and where I hope I will continue to grow as a writer. Right now, it is a work in progress. I am just getting everything moved at this point, and then I will start fine-tuning

If you've enjoyed the blog and the stories you have found here, I hope you will continue to follow me in my new venture. So, for today's real 365 Project blog post, head over to:

http://www.loriromano.com/

I'll see you there!

365 Project - Day 172 - I Heart Faces Photo Challenge - Let's Hear It For The Boys

2011-06-21T09:42:00.001-07:00

There's something about watching a well-orchestrated offensive play unfold--the crack and thud of helmets and pads colliding on the field. There's something about seeing a member of your team running toward the end zone so fast you'd swear he was flying. There's just something about football.

For this week's I Heart Faces Photo Challenge, I am submitting one of the photos I took of my brother Beau's football team as they huddled for a little halftime pep talk. Come on everybody, let's hear it for the boys.

Today's 365 Project Entry is dedicated to the boys who fight their battles on the playing field and to their dedicated dads who coach them.

Be sure to head over to I Heart Faces to check out the other amazing entries this week.

365 Project - Day 171 - Wedding

2011-06-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

When I first decided to take my photography and go into business, I wasn't sure that I ever wanted to shoot weddings. It just seemed like such an enormous job, and an enormous amount of pressure. Plus, I wasn't sure that I would feel comfortable taking on a wedding when I had absolutely no prior experience shooting one. But, when I asked to shoot Andy and Henny's small backyard wedding, I jumped at the chance. Not only are they good family friends, but I also knew that it would be a small, laidback affair. It was the perfect opportunity for me to get some practice and to see if I might want to add weddings to my professional portfolio.

Now, I know that future weddings are not guaranteed to be as much fun to shoot as this one was, but I have to say, after spending the day with this gorgeous bride and groom, I'd be willing to give professional wedding photography some serious consideration.

After spending the day uploading the photos I shot at the wedding, I had to pull this shot to share for today's 365 Project post. Here's to Andy and Henny, and a long happy life together!

365 Project - Day 170 - A Good Time

2011-06-19T20:08:00.000-07:00

Besides being able to see my father steadily improving and celebrating Steven's second Father's Day watching a few episodes of The Sopranos, the highlight of my weekend was definitely being hired to photograph the backyard wedding of some of our best family friends. I haven't even had time to go through and upload all of the photos yet, but I had to pull these two for tonight's blog post.

All I'm going to say about the wedding right now is that when you show up and see the family dogs dressed like this, you are pretty much guaranteed a good time.

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to the Samuelson family. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share in your special day!

365 Project - Day 169 - The Duaner

2011-06-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

When my husband (then my boyfriend) first met my father and spent some time with him, he immediately dubbed him The Duaner.

"Yeah, he's The Duaner. Gotta add 'the' to his name, like The Beatles, because he's just that cool," Steven explained.

And it wasn't long after that, Duane dubbed Steven his "Eye-talian Stallion".

It's safe to say that the two of them hit it off pretty well.

Steven and Electra arrived in Kearney today, and after quickly dropping Electra off at my Uncle Tim and Aunt Leslie's house to play in the yard with their lab Maggie, we headed to the hospital for a visit. Mom sat with Cadence in the waiting room while Steven and I went in to see The Duaner.

When we arrived at his room, we were surprised to find it empty. The TV was on, but there was no sign of my father. The nurse said that he was in the bathroom, and that we could have a seat and wait if we liked. And in the meantime, she filled us in on his progress.

He did end up getting the epidural the night before, and it seemed to be helping immensely. His oxygen levels were way up, and staying up, in spite of the fact that he did end up developing a bit of pneumonia. Because he was so much more comfortable with the epidural, he has been able to cough up the phlegm from his lungs and clear them out well, which is a good sign. They started him on antibiotics for the pneumonia, and he seems to be responding very well. He managed to eat breakfast, and even a bit of his lunch before calling the nurse to help him into the bathroom. Finally, the triple doses of laxatives worked their magic. Victory!

When Duane emerged from his trip to the bathroom, I was surprised at how well he was moving. The nurse helped him manage all of the cords and tubes, but otherwise, he was walking and easing himself down into his recliner on his own. His color looked better, and he was only wearing the oxygen tubes in his nose, instead of the full face mask. And when he finally began to speak, his voice was much stronger.

"So Duane, tell me. What were you thinkin'?" said Steven.

Duane rolled his eyes and groaned. "Oh jeemanee, don't even ask! I don't know."

We visited for a bit, before I finally had to excuse myself to head to the Samuelson's in Loomis to photograph my first wedding. While I was gone, Mom and Steven kept Duane company, and by the time they left him for the night, they were both marveling at his progress. His oxygen levels are continuing to hold strong and he seems to be managing the pain well and gaining his strength back. A couple of the nurses even remarked that he just might be starting to get ornery enough to be ready to move out of the ICU. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Tonight's 365 Project entry is dedicated to The Duaner. Whether those laxatives worked their magic or not, anyone who knows my father knows that he is still full of shit.

The Duaner and his Italian Stallion going for a joyride.

365 Project - Day 168 - Duane Update

2011-06-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

So, I am cheating today and posting an old photo I took a month or two ago when we went to visit my folks in Bertrand. It was such a hectic day, I just didn't have time to take one.

Lindy and I and Cadence left Lincoln this morning to head out to Kearney to visit Duane. I don't even know how much sleep I actually managed to get last night. By the time I finally went to bed, I was fighting and pretty mean migraine and I just couldn't stop wondering what kind of shape Dad would be in when we finally arrived at the hospital. I hate to admit it, but I was preparing myself for the worst.

When we went in to Dad's room for our visit, he was sitting up in a chair and was wearing a regular oxygen mask instead of the C-pap machine. The doctors had been alternating between the two throughout the day, and it seems to be working to keep his oxygen levels up where they need to be. It's obvious that he is still in a lot of pain, but there was some color in his cheeks and he was actually joking around with us about the fact that he has neither eaten, nor taken a crap in four days.

"Have they been giving you prune juice," I asked. "That always works wonders for Cadence."

Duane rolled his eyes and smirked. "No. No prune juice," Duane said. "They've been giving me laxatives, and it ain't going to be pretty when they finally start workin'. Damn horse really knocked the shit out of me!"

I took his good humor as a positive sign.

The doctors are planning to continue alternating between the regular oxygen and the C-pap and will be monitoring him closely. Mom said they talked about doing another scan as well. When Lindy and I talked to Dad, he said he thought the nurses might be getting him up to walk around this evening, but then when Mom went back in to visit, they were talking about giving him an epidural. He has been on morphine to manage the pain, but the doctors now think that giving him an epidural will give him some longer lasting pain relief and allow him to take deeper breaths. We'll find out tomorrow what they decided, and I will post another update to let everyone know about the progress.

Walking out of Dad's room after our visit, I was finally able to breathe the first real sigh of relief since Mom called to tell me about the accident on Monday. Dad still has a long way to go, but it finally looks like he just might be starting to move in the right direction and beginning to heal. Everyone who saw him earlier in the week (especially Wednesday and Thursday) is saying that he looks and acts so much better. Even Dad admitted tonight that there was a point yesterday when he wasn't even sure he was going to make it. We can only pray that tomorrow will dawn even brighter and that Duane will continue on the road to recovery.

Tonight's 365 Project is dedicated to Cowboy Roy and to a speedy recovery. Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers! We really appreciate all the love and support!

Cadence with her Papa Duane on one of his better days.

365 Project - Day 167 - Duane

2011-06-16T21:33:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, one of my uncle's horses got out and my Dad went to help him round it up. When they got the horse cornered, Dad thought he would just hop on and ride it back, even though the horse was only wearing a halter. Long story short, the horse threw him.

At first, in typical Duane fashion, he refused to let my Mom take him to the hospital. Monday morning he woke up in so much pain that he told Mom they better go. He was admitted and x-rays showed three fractured ribs. They doctors gave him morphine for the pain, and luckily all of the other scans of his back and neck were fine.

Mom thought if he was feeling better, he would be released Wednesday, but when she called last night, she said they were keeping him because his oxygen levels were low. Last night, they decided to do another scan to make sure he hadn't punctured a lung and that there were no blood clots. Luckily, the tests came back okay. Unfortunately, they still couldn't keep his oxygen levels where they were supposed to be.

Mom called today that he was being flown to another hospital because they still weren't able to get his oxygen levels up. She said Dad did really well on the flight over and that for now, he seems to be resting comfortably in the ICU. He is hooked up to a C-pap machine, and that seems to be helping his oxygen levels. They are not back to normal yet, but they are much closer.

So, it has been a long week, but hopefully Duane is finally on the mend. Of course, we are soliciting as many prayers and positive thoughts as we can, so if you feel so inclined, we would greatly appreciate them

Tonight's 365 Project is dedicated to my Dad, Duane. I pulled a few of my favorite photos of him for tonight's blog post. Here's hoping he starts feeling better very soon!

Duane riding bareback - 1963 - He was a little better at it back then.

Mom and Dad on their wedding day. Is it just me, or does Duane look like he's 12?

Duane and me - 1980 - Yeah, he's sporting a mean 'fro.

Duane and Pawpoo Shawn - NY graduation trip 2003

Mmmm...sushi!

365 Project - Day 166 - Fool Me Once

2011-06-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

It's interesting how quickly children learn, how quickly they figure out the world and begin to show their little personalities. Cadence is not even 17 months old and already she's starting to show us her independence, her stubborn streak, and a very distinct practical joker personality.

Lately, we've been getting a kick out of the way she tries to hijack the TV remotes and my laptop the minute we have our backs turned. Then, if we happen to return and catch her red handed, she either starts showing off some of her latest dance moves or puckers up to give us kisses to try and distract us with her cuteness.

Earlier this evening while Steven was throwing chicken on the grill and I was busy in the kitchen, our little joker made off with the remote for the Blu-Ray player and managed to hide it so well that it took us almost two hours to find it. Somehow, she managed to stash it behind one of the little doors of the antique kitchen cupboard we are currently using as a TV stand in the living room.

Of course, it was driving Steven crazy that he couldn't find it, and everytime he asked, "Cadence, where is the remote?" she just stared at him and alternated between giving him her best innocent poker face and showing him the Yeah-I'm-guilty-but-I'll-never-tell face.

But even with all the hidden remote hilarity going on, the highlight of the evening was definitely Cadence's attempted jailbreak. She has been tall enough to reach the screen door handle for several weeks now, so we've been keeping the deadbolt locked whenever we have the door open. After she saw her Daddy head outside to grill the chicken, she saw her chance and opened the door to follow. Steven hollered at her to get back inside and close the door, and she hollered back, "Nada! Nada!" before stepping back inside and letting the door slam. She apparently thought Steven's reaction was so deliciously funny that she had to do it again and again and again until the chicken was finally done and Steven chased her back inside and closed the door.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to our little con artist. Like we tell her at least a dozen times a day--she's lucky she's cute.

365 Project - Day 165 - Too Cool

2011-06-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

I've got to say it--I think we share our home with the coolest dog in the world. She's sweet, mellow, patient, playful, loyal, and best of all, she's great with Cadence. She even tolerates us putting hats and sunglasses on her, as long as she's allowed to sit in someone's lap and snuggle.

In spite of the unfortunate incident resulting in the untimely death of one of her rabbit friends, Electra still likes to stalk the rabbits that frequent our yard. When I let her outside with two rabbits in the yard, I grabbed my camera phone and started recording, waiting for her to make her move and give chase.

Watching this video, it's almost hard to believe she killed the other rabbit by chasing it and giving it a heart attack. But maybe this is just proof that she's learned her lesson and knows that the rabbits can't handle playing rough. Just more proof that our dog has a big ol' heart in that big ol' chest of hers.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to our sweet Electra. With a face like this, how can you resist her?

365 Project - Day 164 - Rub-a-Dub-Dub

2011-06-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

It always cracks me up when my Mom tells me how she never used to let me or my sister Lindy get messy when we ate. She says she was always wiping our faces and our hands clean during meals and snacks. I'm pretty sure I did the same thing last year when Cadence was younger and first starting to eat solid foods. I think I felt bad letting her get too messy, considering I was the one who was feeding her. So, if she had pureed sweet potatoes smeared all over her face, I was absolutely the one to blame.

These days, however, it is a much different story. Cadence has been feeding herself for quite awhile now--first mastering the art of picking up chunks of steamed fruits and veggies and cheese, and now graduating to using her very own bowls and utensils. I learned very early that mealtime was going to be a very messy process. And since Cadence went through a long period where she absolutely refused to wear a bib, I decided the only way to keep her from ruining absolutely every piece of clothing that she owned was simply to strip her down to her diaper, throw a couple of towels down on the carpet beneath her high chair, and let her go whole hog and not worry about the mess.

All in all, Cadence is a pretty neat eater. She has moments where she'll fling a handful of string beans in excitement or frustration, and there have been several incidences where we have caught her trying to hide cheese and blueberries under her thighs as though she is trying to save them for later. Other than that though, she is really quite fastidious when she eats.

The one exception, though, is always pasta. It doesn't matter if I give her only the slightest bit of sauce, she somehow manages to coat every inch of her skin with a thin layer of red tomato sauce before the meal is over. It's in her hair, her ears, under her arms, between her toes. By the time she's finished, she looks like she's in the middle of some sort of full-body marinara exfoliating spa treatment. I can't really complain though, because she somehow manages to keep the mess contained to only her body, and she'll eat every last bite of pasta and veggies that I put in front of her.

So, on nights like tonight, there is only one solution to the marinara mayhem, and that is a nice, warm, after dinner bath.

Tonight's 365 Project entry is dedicated to my pasta-loving girl. Bon appetit baby!

365 Project - Day 163 - Sleep Time Shenanigans

2011-06-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

When Steven and I first changed Cadence's bed time routine, neither one of us knew if it was really going to work. Less than a week later, she was going to down to sleep without a fuss and sleeping completely through the night. Hallelujah!

But now that Cadence is in her room by herself for such long stretches of time, I wonder if we are going to be greeted by sights like this more often in the morning...

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to my little Houdini and her nighttime shenanigans. Whatever are we in for next?

365 Project - Day 162 - Win, Lose or Draw, Draw, Draw!

2011-06-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

"Daw! Daw! Daw!"

This is Cadence's mantra these days. All she wants to do is draw, draw, draw. Heck, she sat in her high chair drawing for almost 2 1/2 hours yesterday. I practically had to pry the crayons out of her hands so she would eat her dinner.

She has a little notebook (one of my old ones that I used to use for shopping lists). She likes to carry it around with her and pretend to write and take notes as she scribbles. Sometimes her little tongue creeps out the corner of her mouth as she focuses intently on her "work". I can only pray that she remains as focused and studious when she is old enough to go to school.

Here is a little sampling of today's artwork...

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to my budding artist. If she keeps up this pace, we will be wallpapering the house with her artwork instead of confining it to the refrigerator.

365 Project - Day 161 - Lori Bites

2011-06-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this is a lame post tonight, but it's for a good cause. I'm launching a new food blog inspired by the food/restaurant writing and photography I have been doing for West Valley Health & Living Magazine. I hope you'll check it out and follow me on this latest adventure. The site is still a work in progress, but please stop by and let me know what you think!

Click the photo below and brace yourselves for Lori Bites!

Tonight's 365 Project entry is dedicated to a fun new project...let's see where it leads me!

365 Project - Day 160 - The Ants Go Marching (part 2)

2011-06-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

So after posting about our recent ant issues on Facebook, I had several friends and family members giving me advice on how to get rid of them. When my good friend Tamatha recommended Terro Liquid Ant Baits, I figured we would give them a go. She warned me that the ants would swarm "like cows to a feeding trough" but to let them do their thing and they would carry the poisoned liquid back to their nest and it would kill the entire colony.

Boy was she right!

A few hours after setting the baits on the counter last night, we watched the ants swarming, diving into the liquid like drunken college students diving into a swimming pool full of Jell-O shots. Despite the fact that the ants had only been confined to the small portion of the counter immediately surrounding our kitchen sink, for the rest of the night, I swore I could feel them crawling on me. It was enough to keep me awake and paranoid well past 3:00 a.m.

What Tamatha failed to mention was that the colony's queen was not likely to take the assassination attempt lightly, so I was completely unprepared when I saw her on the floor when I got Cadence out of her crib and carried her into the living room. But there she was, the fat, black Carpenter Ant queen, scurrying across the floor near the kitchen. Barefoot and still holding my child, my options were few, so I grabbed Cadence's horsey bike and ran over Her Majesty before she could escape and find a new spot to rebuild her dying kingdom.

And just so you can see the size comparison between Her Majesty and her minions...

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to the poor ants who decided to invade and met their demise. Let's just hope this is the last post for a very long time devoted to any sort of annoying creepy, crawly creatures. I don't know about you, but I have had my fill.

365 Project - Day 159 - Arachnophobia

2011-06-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

I wrote yesterday about the certain level of respect I have for most bugs and insects, yet I failed to mention spiders. It was an appropriate omission, for my relationship with spiders is certainly deserving of it's own blog post. In short, I hate them. Indoors, outdoors, anywhere I encounter them, I HATE them and will kill them without hesitation or remorse. In fact, I killed one just today in Cadence's sandbox.

There is no live and let live when it comes to spiders. And don't try to tell me how good it is to have them around so they can kill other insects. If I want those other insects dead, I can very well do it myself.

I wasn't always this way. In fact, as a child, I never really minded spiders, as long as they didn't try to crawl on me or bite me. I was content to just look the other way and let them do their own thing.

But that all changed in the fall 1990 when the movie Arachnophobia came out on video.

My family was still living in Bird City, Kansas at the time. It was a Friday night, and my sister Lindy and I had both invited friends over to spend the night. Mom agreed to drive us to the Video Kingdom in St. Francis to rent a couple movies, and since Arachnophobia had just come out on video, we decided to pick it up. We weren't scared by the movie. Oh no, not at all. In fact, it was pretty cheesy, and the four of us ended up laughing through most of it. It's what happened afterward that scarred me for life.

(Just a little side note here--a few weeks before, we'd noticed some small spiders in our basement. Since both Lindy and I had our bedrooms down there, Mom called an exterminator to get rid of them. He came in and sprayed, and all was right with the world again.)

So, it was a little after 1:00 a.m. when we finally finished the movie and retired to our rooms for the night. Tenley and I had barely closed the door to my bedroom when we heard Lindy and Jill screaming in the next room.

When we opened Lindy's door, we were surprised to see Jill climbing up on a chair and Lindy jumping up and down on the bed screaming, "Delbert missed one! Delbert missed one! DELBERT MISSED ONE!" over and over while pointing to her dresser that stood on the other side of the room.

"Shhhh! You're going to wake Mom up!" I said. "You guys are stupid. You're not going to scare us."

But instead of stopping the charade, Lindy and Jill just kept on screaming.

I looked over to the dresser where Lindy was pointing. There, on top of her dresser, sat the biggest, hairiest, ugliest brown spider I had ever seen. Sitting there with it's legs outstretched, it was about as big around as a baseball.

I stood there for a moment, wondering where Lindy and Jill managed to get such a realistic looking spider when they hadn't even known we were going to be watching the movie that night.

"Ugh, you guys are so lame," I said, shaking my head and taking a step forward.

I was about two feet away from the dresser when the spider suddenly started to move.

I don't even remember running from the room, but run we did, as fast as our legs could take us, screaming all the way. The four of us burst into my parents' room screaming at the top of our lungs.

It was the middle of harvest,which meant my Dad was working crazy long hours loading railroad cars at the Co-op, so Mom was the one that got to follow a pack of panicking girls down to the basement to see what all the fuss was about. Of course, when we arrived, the spider in question was gone.

The four of us stuck to our story, and wouldn't let Mom leave the room until we found it again. There was no way we were going to sleep until we knew the big hairy beast was dead. After a bit of looking and poking around the room, we managed to scare the spider out of it's hiding place beneath Lindy's dresser. Mom's eyes widened in shock, and it was obvious that she thought we were exaggerating when we told her the thing was roughly the size of a newborn kitten.

"Oh!" Mom said, grabbing one of Lindy's sandals. "Oh my!"

It took three good tries to kill the beast, and not because Mom was missing the mark. The first blow struck the spider squarely, but just seemed to irritate it as it continued to run across the floor toward the closet. The second blow actually seemed to take a little pep out of it's step and hobble it enough for Mom to wind up and give it a solid third. On the third try, the spider rolled over and curled it's legs into it's body, spasming a few times before finally dying right there on the carpet.

Somehow, we all got a little sleep that night, comforted by the knowledge that the beast had been slain, and we laughed at the odds that our little encounter took place just minutes after watching a movie like Arachnophobia.

Mom called the exterminator to come back, just to be sure there were no more surprises. He returned on Monday while Lindy and I were in schoolm and did a much more thorough examination and spraying of the house.

That afternoon, Lindy and I got off the school bus and walked the three blocks to the bank where Mom worked so we could get some money to buy a snack at the grocery store before heading home. Mom said she had something to show us.

We followed her to the back room and watched in horrified fascination as she held up a plastic Ziploc baggie with half a dozen dead brown spiders inside. Then, she proceeded to tell us that the exterminator determined we had an infestation of Wolf Spiders in the house, and that the tiny little spiders we had been seeing for weeks were just the babies. Apparently he had disposed of several Ziploc baggies full of dead spiders after thoroughly spraying the house and killing those that remained, and had given one to Mom as a souvenir.

So you see, my abhorrance for spiders is not at all unjustified. And I will continue to exact revenge on the arachnid population for invading my childhood home and trying to take over. They should have been more careful who they were messing with.

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to all the spiders I have killed. I just want you to know, I am not sorry. Here's the one I slayed today in Cadence's sandbox...wouldn't you know, a Wolf Spider. Ugh!

365 Project - Day 158 - The Ants Go Marching

2011-06-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

I have never been a bug hater. In fact, I was one of those kids that actually kinda liked bugs. Well, maybe I didn't like them, but I was fascinated by them, and I used to catch them and put them in the Bug House that someone bought me one Christmas. The Bug House was made of a few pieces of wood and mosquito netting, which allowed me to see what the little bugs were up to once I got them inside. I caught beetles, caterpillars, ladybugs, lightning bugs, and even the occasional cicada. I would never keep them more than a day or two though. It just never seemed right to hold them captive for longer, so I would release them back into the wild. Hell, my nickname growing up was even "Lori Bugs", though I'm not sure it really had anything to do with any of the creepy crawly little creatures.

In spite of my longstanding fascination with the little guys, I draw the line at bugs in my house. There's just something about seeing bugs indoors that suddenly transforms them from fascinating little creatures into despicable little invaders that need to be immediately eradicated. While I might go out of my way to be respectful of the the little critters when I am outdoors--making sure I step over anthills or brushing a curious bug carefully aside instead of squashing it--I take a bug's uninvited intrusion into my home as an open declaration of war.

In Arizona, we had issues with crickets that apparently decided to move into the house when the previous owners moved out, and they made themselves far too comfortable before we moved in. We first tried to take care of the problem ourselves with gallons of bug repellent bought at the local hardware store, but after months of spraying, we hadn't even made a dent in the population. The incessant chirping kept us up all hours of the night and haunted our dreams, and we were constantly being startled by crickets jumping out at us from every nook and cranny in the house.

At one point we thought we bested them, when we realized that they were coming in through a hollow space between the siding of the house and the back patio door. Shoving the nozzle of the sprayer into the hole, Steven unleashed a deluge of bug spray, then suddenly jumped up with a yell when hundreds of crickets came pouring out of the hole and hopping drunkenly through the yard. He chased after them, stomping on them and spraying them with the bug spray until they were all dead or dying beneath the Arizona sun. Even then, we'd barely made a dent, so we called in the professionals and after a couple of monthly treatments, we were victorious and our house was quiet.

So far, we haven't seen much of anything out of the ordinary here in our rental house. Sure, we have had the occasional spider or housefly, both of which are greeted with a quick and painless death as soon as they are discovered. Our luck though, appears to have run out. This past week, we noticed a small army of tiny black ants that have decided to invade our kitchen. We're not 100% certain where they are coming from, but all signs point to the window above our kitchen sink, since the windowsill and counter is where we keep finding them. We bought a couple of ant traps, but so far, they don't seem to be working all that great. So, if anyone out there has any good remedies to get rid of annoying little black ants, we are open for suggestions. These little guys are going down!

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to all the bugs that need to learn to just stay outside where they belong. Trust me guys, you'll be much better off out there in wild.

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge - From a Distance

2011-06-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just need to take a step back to put it all into perspective. I have to give my husband credit for this shot. I'm usually the one behind the camera, so it was a nice to get a chance to actually be in a picture with my daughter. I love this shot. Every time I look at it, I hear the Foo Fighters singing "Walking After You."

Be sure to head over to I Heart Faces to see more amazing entries in this week's From a Distance photo challenge.

365 Project - Day 157 - It'll Be Alright Again

2011-06-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

For a child, pain is a fleeting emotion. Sadness comes and goes almost instantaneously, as long as there is a kiss, the promise of ice cream or, in my daughter's case, a song. If only we adults could let go of despair and hurt feelings so easily.

The pouty lip making an appearance.

So, Momma starts to sing...maybe a little Sugarland, or a showtune.

And she sings along..."It's alright. It's alright. It's alright. It'll be alright again."

365 Project - Day 156 - Snuggle Buddies

2011-06-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

For all of her idiosyncracies--her obsession with food, her separation anxiety--you would be very hard pressed to find a sweeter dog than our Electra. If she had it her way, she would spend a majority of her day just like this...

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to our favorite snuggle buddy, Electra Romano.

365 Project - Day 155 - I'm Too Sexy

2011-06-04T22:23:00.000-07:00

I hate clothes shopping.

There, I said it, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I know, it completely defies the very nature of my gender, but I guess I am just missing the chromosome that makes girls giddy about spending time shopping for clothes and shoes. This is another one of those weird things about me that I'm sure tops Steven's "Reasons My Wife Is Awesome" list. In fact, the only shopping that I actually enjoy is when I head to the bookstore to buy a new book. I could spend days in a bookstore, browsing the titles, plucking interesting books from the shelves and skimming the first few pages to see if something catches my interest. Often, I get so caught up in my search for new things to read that I completely lose track of time. Like an alien abductee, I look at a clock and suddenly realize that several hours have passed without me even noticing.

Take me along on an excursion to buy new clothes or shoes and I can actually feel my blood pressure begin to rise as I walk into the store. Perhaps it's the fact that I've always been pretty self-conscious, but I just never feel like anything looks good on me. I hate having to try things on because nothing ever fits right. I hate carrying an armful of clothes into a dressing room only to discover that I've either chosen things too big or too small, and now I can't even remember where I found them in the first place. Things are always either too tight, too baggy, too loose, too scratchy, too short, too long, or too small. When something fits perfectly through the shoulders, it is way too baggy in the waist or vice versa. There is never a happy medium.

I used to drive my Mom crazy on shopping trips. She and Lindy loooooove to shop. Lindy could spend hours trying on clothes and shoes and looking for new outfits, while Mom shopped for clothing, shoes and purses. When I was very young and we lived in McCook, there was one department store we frequented that had a mechanical horse in the back near the dressing rooms for the kids to ride. You didn't even need quarters. You could just flip the switch on the wall and ride forever. At least in that store, I had something to keep me occupied.

In other stores, I had no other choice but to get creative and try to entertain myself so I wouldn't drop dead of boredom. I would pretend that I was a secret agent on a covert mission, assigned to the clothing store to apprehend several known criminals. I would conceal myself in the middle of the clothing racks, eavesdropping on the conversations going on in the aisles around me and waiting for the right moment to jump out and catch the perps by surprise. Needless to say, Mom wasn't every impressed with my antics on most of our shopping trips.

As I got older, I left my childish games behind and instead became a very stubborn shopper. I refused to try things on, and instead bought everything by repetition (buying new versions or a variety of colors of the things I already owned and actually liked) or by simply eyeballing the size of a piece of clothing that struck my fancy. I am notorious for finding a pair or jeans or shirt that I like, and then buying five or six of them (in different colors), wearing them until they completely wear out, and then going out and buying five or six more of the exact same thing. With shoes, I am even worse. I find a couple pairs I like and then I wear them until they are completely falling apart. I've been wearing my flowered Doc Martens for well over 10 years now, and plan to keep wearing them until the soles are literally worn off, or until they officially disintegrate beyond repair.

Now that I am a parent, I realize that I not only have to shop for myself, I am now responsible for shopping for my child. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse! I have to say, I do have a bit more tolerance when I am picking things out for Cadence. After all, there are just some really cute kids clothes, and it's a nice change of pace being able to pick things off the racks that she will look adorable in. I do think she has a bit of my impatience for clothes shopping though, because she tends to get a little stir crazy if we are in the store longer than 20 minutes. Good thing she's got her crazy, anti-shopping mother to keep her entertained when we go shopping with people who exceed our 20-minute Clothes Shopping Limit.

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to all the other anti-shopping girls out there, and to all the fun things we do to keep ourselves sane while we are waiting on our shopoholic friends.

What do we have here?

Oh yeah baby! How cool am I gonna look?

I'm too sexy!

365 Project - Day 154 - Shenanigans

2011-06-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

There were a lot of shenanigans going on today. I'll let the video speak for itself...

365 Project - Day 153 - Pinching Pennies

2011-06-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

I want to apologize in advance for the rant I am about to go on, but I have had enough already.

My friend Katie posted the following status on Facebook yesterday:

"[I am] amazed by how often and in how many ways the people who try to do the right thing, are relatively responsible with their limited incomes, and generally make good choices get the SHAFT when trying to improve their lifestyles even the littlest bit, while others can run up credit card debt, overspend, and simply walk away or get people to feel sorry for them and help them."

Of course, I had to comment right away when I saw this. Steven and I feel exactly the same way. It seems like no matter what we do, we just can't seem to get ahead. We try to always be responsible. We pay our rent on time, pay our bills, and pay our taxes. We saved up and bought a home when everyone was telling us that the market was great and prices weren't going to get any lower. We decided to make a small investment so I could make a go of doing my writing and photography full-time and be able to be home to take care of our daughter. We opened a bank account immediately after Cadence was born so we could start putting money away for her to go to college someday. We drive used cars that so we don't have to carry the extra load of car payments. We try to only buy things that are on sale when we go grocery shopping. We work hard for every penny we are given, and then watch in dumfounded amazement as half of it is taken before it even reaches our pockets and the other half just seems to disappear as we pay for bills, for groceries, for gas, and for the dozen other things that just seem to pop up every month.

Somewhere, somehow, the great American Dream turned into a rather grim reality. Too many average Americans are struggling just to make ends meet while the corrupt politicians and corporate big shots are lining their pockets with money taken out of the hands of blue collar workers. Billions of dollars were printed like Monopoly money and given away to dozens of big banks and businesses that our illustrous President deemed "too big to fail". But they have failed, and they have taken all of us down with them.

So what about the rest of us? What about the people whose homes are suddenly not worth even half of what they paid for them? What about the families who are watching their savings accounts dwindle? What about the young adults who worked hard to get a good education, yet find themselves drowning in student loan debt, yet for all their knowledge, still can't find a job? What about the people who have lost their jobs, their homes, their hope? Where is our bailout? When do we get the chance to wipe the slate clean and start over?

I was raised with a good work ethic. My parents did their best to teach me the value of a dollar, and that I had to work hard to earn the things I wanted. We were blessed in many ways. We always had a comfortable home and food on the table. There were always some gifts under the Christmas tree. But there were things we couldn't afford and certain luxuries that we made do without. I got jobs mowing lawns or babysitting to make extra money, and started working part-time at a local grocery store and preschool when I started high school. I was never one who expected something for nothing because, in my experience, that just wasn't the way things worked.

I guess that's what makes it so hard for me to understand our current economic situation in this country and the sense of entitlement that so many people have. You get what you earn people. Nobody owes you anything. You want something? You gotta make some sacrifices to get it. How is that so hard to understand?

We spend so much of our lives working and worrying, worrying and working. We are so wrapped up in the craziness of it that we miss out on so many of the little pleasures that life has to offer us. Life is too short to spend so much time caught up in this kind of craziness. And yet we'll keep on going, keep plugging along, keep working and scrimping and saving and dreaming of a better life with more opportunities for our children until we finally get so fed up with this broken system that we are forced to figure out a way to change it.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to all you hardworking folks who are out there pinching your pennies and dreaming of something better. We'll get there eventually. Until then, just keep on keeping on.

365 Project - Day 152 - Sand

2011-06-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

Since she first discovered dirt, Cadence has been obsessed. The only thing that trumps it is when she gets to play in the sand. Just last week, she had a meltdown in the Child Watch Center at the YMCA because it was starting to get stormy outside and the chaperones had to tear her away from the sandbox to bring her inside. So today was an extra special day when Cadence's godmother dropped off her Easter gift.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to Cadence's very own sandbox, and the hours of fun that await. Thanks to Tamatha, Scott and Katie for making this little girl's day!

In the backyard, waiting for our favorite Tamatha to arrive.

Cadence telling Tamatha "More! More! More sand!"

What do we have here?

Two pretty girls in the sandbox.

Nothing better than burying your toes in the sand.

Deep in conversation.

The chaperone, keeping an eye on things.

365 Project - Day 151 - Zzzzzz

2011-05-31T21:08:00.000-07:00

So, it is Day 3 of the Get Cadence to Sleep Better Project, and I have to say, we are feeling very encouraged. The first night was awful. Steven and I alternated going in every 5 minutes or so to rub her back and calm her down, but our sweet, stubborn girl just wouldn't give up and go to sleep. Even when she was so tired that she was literally falling asleep standing up, she refused to lie down and stop screeching.

Last night, she yelled for maybe 20 minutes total, and would stop and lie down on her own as soon as we opened the door and approached the crib. Once she fell asleep, she slept soundly all night and woke happy and ready to play this morning.

Today during her nap, she hollered loudly for maybe 5 minutes, talked to herself for about 15 minutes, and then fell right asleep. Tonight at bedtime, it only took 10 minutes. Thank goodness we seem to be moving in the right direction. Now if Steven and I could just get our butts in bed a little earlier, all of us might finally be able to get a good night's sleep.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to tonight being a peaceful night in the Romano household, with only the sounds of Metallica, Guns 'N Roses and Nirvana lullabies playing softly through the baby monitor. Good night all! Zzzzzzzzzz.......

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge - Best Faces From May

2011-05-31T07:37:00.000-07:00

This week's photo challenge is the Best Faces From May, and this shot is definitely my favorite. There's nothing quite like watching a child enjoy their very first ice cream sandwich. Mmmm...

To see more amazing Best Faces From May entries, head over to I Heart Faces!

365 Project - Day 150 - Welcome to the Jungle

2011-05-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

So, it has been a week since our lawn mower broke, and it was almost a week before that when Steven last mowed. With all the rain we've been getting recently, our yard is beginning to look a bit like the Amazon rain forest. I'm sure our neighbors are wondering what the heck is going on over here. and I have to admit, after the events that have taken place this past week, Steven and I are starting to wonder the same thing.

If you've read a few of my other recent posts, you are likely aware that we have a bit of a rabbit problem. Well, at first, it was just Electra that was having a rabbit problem. They hop through the yard, just fast enough that she can't keep up with them, even sunning themselves in the grass just a few feet from the bottom of the patio stairs when they know she is sitting inside looking out the window. But, when Momma Rabbit decided to give birth in our basement window well and Electra chased a rabbit through the fence and gave it a heart attack, Steven and I suddenly had a rabbit problem of our own.

We were just trying to go with the flow with all the craziness. That is, until the dead rabbit disappeared, and another one (or perhaps even the same one if you believe Steven's theory that our yard is the Pet Sematary) dug a hole and is apparently building herself a nice cozy nest less than five feet from our patio door. Should the new part for the lawnmower not arrive tomorrow so Steven can get it fixed and finally tame the wilderness, we might be faced with yet another litter of rabbits that we have to keep our overly anxious hound from trying to adopt and raise as her own.

There's just never a dull day here in Romanoville.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to our yard, the Wild Kingdom. Anyone want to start placing bets on what we find next?

Enter at your own risk.

Hot on the trail.

It begins again. Gotta give the rabbits credit for their persistence.

365 Project - Day 149 - Night Night

2011-05-29T22:47:00.001-07:00

There are few things in life that can fill you with more self-doubt than becoming a parent. Even the most confident people in the world can find themselves reduced to blithering paranoid idiots the moment they are faced with the prospect of raising a child. There are just so many decisions, so many tough choices to make. And it doesn't help one bit that everyone seems to have an opinion, a piece of advice that they are so willing to share, because the things that worked like magic for them may very well spell instant disaster for your own children. There is no instruction manual, no magic formula, no definite black and white rules when it comes to raising your children. Instead, you just have to try to do the very best you can.

Cadence has never been a great sleeper. She'll have a few really great nights where she goes down easy and sleeps through, but more often we deal with her not wanting to go down easily, and then waking up during the night and not wanting to go back to bed. She is such a light sleeper that we either have to be playing white noise or soft music in her bedroom so that she isn't awakened by even the slightest of sounds, and it's a regular magic act trying to get her into her crib after she's fallen asleep in our arms.

We've tried several different things to try and improve her sleeping habits, but so far, nothing has been able to provide a consistent solution. It's not that she hates her room or her crib. In fact, she will sometimes spend up to an hour playing happily in her crib by herself after she's awakened from her afternoon nap. The issue really just seems to be that she fights naptime and bedtime because she doesn't want to be away from the action and miss anything. I just wish there was some way to explain to our toddler that there is really not anything interesting going on while she's sleeping. With Steven and I, it's usually one of three things--we're either working, hanging out and watching some TV, or sleeping. Really, that's about as exciting as it gets.

Tonight after dinner, a bath, a bottle and some hanging out time with Mom and Dad, I took Cadence in her room to rock for a bit, and then put her down in her crib, told her "Night night. Momma loves you," and left the room. She protested loudly, as if she could not believe that I had the audacity to break the usual routine of rocking her to sleep, ever so carefully placing her in her crib, then tiptoing out of the room and easing the door closed without waking her.

In the living room, Steven and I listened as the decibel levels rose steadily. Had the baby monitor suddenly started to emit black smoke and crumble to a pile of charred plastic, I would not have been surprised. My daughter comes from a very long line of headstrong women, and tonight she proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she certainly inherited those genes. It took nearly three hours of crying, comforting, placing her back in her crib, telling her "Night night", changing her diaper, rubbing her back and wiping her tears, but Cadence finally laid down on her own, gave a deep sigh and fell asleep.

Tonight's 365 Project entry is dedicated to my stubborn little girl. Here's hoping that we all get a good night's sleep, and that someday, perhaps when you have your own children, you will realize how much harder those three hours were for your Momma than they were for you.

365 Project - Day 148 - Monkey See, Monkey Do

2011-05-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about having children in the house is watching them learn. Cadence is in the midst of toddlerhood, which means she is in the midst of learning by imitation. Our little monkey spends her days holding our cell phones to her ear and jabbering to some imaginary friend on the other end, sneaking Momma's laptop and pretending to type, picking up the TV remotes and changing the channels (or hitting the Record button so that we have random shows filling up our DVR memory).

She insists upon turning the lights on when we enter a room, and then turning them off when we leave. When I brush my teeth, she asks for her toothbruth. When I dry my hair, she wants to comb hers. When I'm making dinner, she wants to play with the empty butter tub, stirring some invisible concoction and offering me a taste.

Tonight, she picked up one of my sports bras and wanted to wear it. I obliged, and slipped it on over her t-shirt. Steven and I cracked up as she ran around for most of the evening wearing it. She is trying so very hard to be a big girl. Now, if we can just get her interested in learning how to use the toilet like a big girl, we'll be in business!

Tonight's 365 Project entry is dedicated to our little big girl. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

365 Project - Day 147 - Regret

2011-05-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

The events that took place in Casa de Romano today inspired me to make my own De-Motivational Poster...

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to sweet Electra. Our stubby-legged hound dog might not ever be able to actually catch a rabbit while chasing it, but damned if she didn't manage to corner one today and scare it to death. Ever since the unfortunate incident occurred early this afternoon, she has been whining inconsolably in front of the patio door. RIP Mr. Bunny. You will be missed.

365 Project - Day 146 - Dishes

2011-05-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy, but I hate dishwashers. Okay, maybe hate is a strong word. And I don't exactly hate the dishwashers themselves, or rather the idea of a dishwasher. I actually think the invention is rather ingenious. A machine specifically designed to wash your dishes for you, theoretically freeing up all that time that you would be spending washing and drying the dishes by hand, so you can go out and do more important things.

I say theoretically freeing time though, because how much time does it really free up when you have to pre-rinse and pre-wash many of the dishes, then load them, then unload them, making sure you set aside the forks and cups and random dishes that somehow still have bits of crusty food stuck to them which forces you to either load them back in the dishwasher to run with the next load or actually wash them by hand yourself? And then there's the fact that a lot of the dishes don't get dry in the dishwasher, and some (like bowls or coffee mugs tipped at just the right angle) actually seem to collect the water and bits debris so that when you pick them up to unload them, they spill their questionable contents all over the rest of the clean dishes, leaving you to wipe off and dry everything as you put it away. Really?

Growing up, the chore I dreaded most was loading and unloading the dishwasher. There were a couple of times I flat out refused to do it, begging Mom to please let me vacuum or dust or clean the bathrooms instead. If she wouldn't budge or if the other chores happened to be done already, I would often resort to washing the dirty dishes by hand and then putting them away, rather than having to use the dishwasher.

It wasn't until I spent a summer sharing an apartment with my friend Jenny in Omaha that I ever willingly used a dishwasher. See, Jenny's rule was that nothing was to be pre-washed, pre-rinsed, or otherwise prepped for the dishwasher. After all, it's job was to clean things. She even yelled at me once to stop rinsing the peanut butter off the bowl and spoon I had just used to make a batch of Puppy Chow. "If it doesn't come clean in the dishwasher, then it's not worth having anyway. Just throw it out!" And I'll be damned if every last plate, cup, bowl, pot, pan and utensil didn't come out sparkling clean. I don't know if Jenny just happened to have the superhero of dishwashers, or if perhaps the dishwasher somehow knew that if it didn't do it's job the way it was supposed to that Jenny was likely to tear it out of the wall with her own bare hands, but that was the first, and last, dishwasher that I can honestly say I ever enjoyed using.

There's just something about doing dishes that is actually kind of relaxing for me. Yes, I'm weird. I know. I've never been able to meditate in the traditional sense. I tried it a few times and it just wasn't for me. I can't sit in a darkened room and chant and clear my head completely. Thoughts just have a way of sneaking in when I try to hard to keep them out. I do find though that I can meditate in my own way though when I practice being mindful, when I allow myself to be completely in the present moment and focus on the task at hand.

Washing dishes is the perfect exercise in mindfulness. You have to be focused on what you're doing--the temperature of the water, scrubbing all of the dishes just so, being careful not to accidentally cut yourself with the knives. About halfway through the day's pile of dirty dishes, I feel any stress and tension and irritation melting into the water and slipping away down the drain. By the time I'm finished drying everything and putting it all back in the cupboards, I am completely at peace. Funny how something so mundane can be so therapeutic.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to my dish washing weirdness. And yes, that is an unused dishwasher sitting directly beneath that big pile of dishes I just washed by hand.

365 Project - Day 145 - Just Keep Swimming...Just Keep Swimming...

2011-05-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

During my childhood, my family spent a little over seven years living in Bird City, Kansas, a town so small that the only real entertainment was Friday night football games, Bingo nights at the Senior Citizen Center, and long summer days spent at the local swimming pool. I lived for the opening of the pool every year, and spent darn near every waking moment I could in the cool chlorinated water.

In the mornings I attended swimming lessons and swim team practice. In the afternoons I would beg my babysitters to please please please please please either take me to the pool, or let me go and hang out there for the day with my friends. Some evenings, they even had night swimming, and I would convince Mom to let me go back after dinner until the lifeguards finally kicked me out and said it was time to close up shop for the night. It was always a sad day for me when the summer ended and the pool was drained for another long winter.

After we moved back to Nebraska, I lost touch with swimming. I was getting older, and instead of spending my summer days at the local pool, I spent it working part-time jobs, attending summer band and writing camps, and hanging out with my friends. When I did hit the water, it was usually at the Sand Pits just north of town or to the lake with friends.

Now that Steven and I have joined the YMCA, I am absolutely loving being able to swim again, even though the first day I spent an hour swimming laps and thought I was going into cardiac arrest. Hell, I knew I was out of shape, but that was ridiculous! It has been so long since I have been on a steady exercise routine that I'd forgotten how great it feels to be tired after a good workout, my muscles loose and rubbery and throbbing from the exertion. And I'd forgotten how great it feels to take a hot shower and sleep soundly afterward.

If only Cadence would take the hint and start sleeping through every night too.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to one of my favorite forms of exercise. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.

365 Project - Day 144 - There's a Storm in the Heartland

2011-05-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

I've always loved thunderstorms. There's just something about the strobing flashes of lightning, the low grumbling of thunder and the insistent tapping of the rain that plays like a flawlessly conducted symphony orchestra. There's just something I've always found very relaxing, very meditative about a good thunderstorm.

Yet this time of year, a thunderstorm can quickly turn from a majestic display into an unimaginable nightmare, as the residents of Joplin, Missouri and Alabama are well aware. It is still early in the season, and there have already been a record number of powerful storms and tornadoes. It makes you wonder what the rest of the season will bring.

There was a time in my life when I wanted to be a storm chaser, but I was never interested enough in math and science to really want to learn the ins and outs of meteorology. In the summer of 1998, I did manage to get a couple of pretty decent photographs a tornado forming, touching down, and then dissapating in a farmer's field a few miles from where I stood on the edge of the highway.

Now that we have moved to Nebraska, Steven has developed quite a curiosity about tornadoes. He was even excited to participate in his very first Tornado Drill at work. After asking me what I remember doing during Tornado Drills in school, Steven was expecting to have to exit his office and quickly proceed to the designated Tornado Shelter in the basement, where he would be instructed to get down on the floor, curl his body into a ball and cover his head with his hands. Instead, when the siren sounded, Steven and his colleagues proceeded calmly to the Tornado Shelter area in the basement of the building and found that a table had been set up with refreshments and cookies. Needless to say, Steven has a bit of a warped view of what might take place should an actual tornado hit.

Neither Steven nor I have ever really been afraid of storms. Instead, we are both quite fasinated by them. Hell, one of our fondest shared memories from college is the day it stormed and we both witnessed a bolt of lightning striking Sieker Hall. We still have a piece of the building we saved as a souvenir and were both quoted in the local newspaper article about the storm. Even better, our fascination seems to have been passed along to our daughter. As soon as she hears the thunder beginning to rumble outside, she wants to go stand out on the porch to watch the storm, and reach her chubby little hand out to touch the rain. I have to admit, I'm proud of her, because I'd much rather she marvel at and appreciate a thunderstorm than be fearful of it.

Tonight's 365 Project entry is dedicated to Nature and all her exquisite fury. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of the big storms this season, and my thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have already lost so much.

365 Project - Day 143 - An Apple A Day...

2011-05-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

I don't put much stock in diets anymore. I can't really. After spending much of my adolescence and early adulthood battling an eating disorder and some very detrimental body image and self-esteem issues, I've found that it is much healthier for me to stay away from dieting altogether.

Now, that doesn't mean that I don't try to watch what I eat, I just try to keep myself from going overboard with it. I choose whole grain pasta and bread over the regular stuff. I try to stay away from the super sugary cereals (though I have a definite weakness for Cocoa Puffs and Cinnamon Toast Crunch on occassion). And lately I've been trying to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables I'm eating.

What I don't believe in though, is cutting out or depriving myself of any foods, even the "bad" stuff. Anything can be bad for you if you overindulge, so really, the trick to successfully eating healthier is finding a balance where you can eat well, treat yourself every now and then, and not set yourself up for failure by denying yourself the things you crave and enjoy. Sure, if I sat down and ate 20 Hostess cupcakes every single day, I would likely be paying for it as I watched my waistline expand. But, snacking on one every once in awhile to satisfy a craving for something sweet is certainly not going to kill me. Life is far too short for hardcore deprivation diets, don't you think?

These days, however, both Steven and I are finding that we are increasingly unhappy with our increasingly flabby bodies, and we finally decided we needed to do something more than the occassional walk on the bike path, since the walks always seem rather limited with a dog and a toddler in tow. After looking at a couple of options, we decided to join the YMCA so we could start exercising regularly again, and so far, we are loving it. Not only does it give us a chance to get active again, but we can also get Cadence involved. She's already had a blast swimming in the pool and playing with other kids in the child care center.

One thing I am very conscious of now that I have a daughter myself, is making sure that she is able to grow up having a healthy relationship with food and a healthy body image. Our culture can be very tough on girls, dictating a very warped view of how the female body should look. Fortunately, we seem to be doing pretty well so far. Cadence is super active, and is always game to go running around or head to the Y. And while she does enjoy the occasional treat like chocolate chip cookies or ice cream, Cadence is still much more interested in eating a plate full of veggies, cheese, and whole grain pasta. Her newest favorite food appears to be apples. She loves when we give them to her whole (with the skin removed), and she hold them like a big girl and eats them right down to the core. That's my girl!

Today's 365 Project Entry is dedicated to finding your own healthy balance and making it work for you. Don't go crazy depriving yourself, people! Instead simply try to be a bit more mindful of what you're eating, and then get out there and get active!

365 Project - Day 142 - Waiting

2011-05-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

It is almost sickening how much of our lives we spend waiting--waiting in line, waiting for the phone to ring, waiting for the next big thing to come along. In the meantime, the earth keeps right on spinning and life just keeps on passing us by. Maybe if we can learn to focus more of our time and energy in the moment and what is happening right now, we just might be surprised how much we've been missing.

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to finding a way to recapture life, one moment at a time.

365 Project - Day 141 - Keeps on Tickin'...

2011-05-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

Well May 21 has officially come and gone and we're still kickin'. This was the closest thing we saw to the end of the world today...

RIP Mr. Worm. You put up a good fight, right until the very end.

365 Project - Day 140 - And I Feel Fine...

2011-05-20T21:21:00.002-07:00

According to a man named Harold Camping and his followers, this just might be the end of the world as we know it. Camping has predicted that the world will end May 21, 2011. However, Camping failed specify a time zone. Seeing as he lives in California, I can only assume he is basing his calcuations on Pacific Time, and if that's the case, we Nebraskans have already entered the danger zone.

The countdown is on people. How are you spending your last night on earth?

Me? I'm going to bed a little early, enjoying the sound of the thunderstorm outside my window, and wondering how Mr. Camping is going to explain it if we all make it through tomorrow unscathed. We'll see what happens. Until then, relax and enjoy!

365 Project - Day 139 - Mmmm...Smoothies!

2011-05-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

A few of my friends were recently having a discussion about "hiding" nutritious vegetables in fruit smoothies as a way of getting their kids to eat some healthier foods. Luckily, Cadence is a vegetable addict, so I don't have to get super creative. But, like Steven and I, she is a bit pickier about her fruits. She loves apples, pears, blueberries and strawberries, and that is about it. When it comes to trying other fruits, she is just really not interested.

I have to admit, I am probably partially to blame. I've never been a big fruit eater. I love watermelon, and could probably sit down and eat an entire watermelon by myself. Other than that though, my appetite for fruit is pretty slim. I enjoy apples, but only really Granny Smith and Braeburn. I don't like pears. I hate grapefruit. I like oranges, and blood oranges in particular. I enjoy cantaloupe, but only when it is perfectly ripe--too green and it makes my face pucker, too ripe and it makes me gag. I've never really liked peaches, kiwi, or any other fruit sporting any sort of hair, fur or fuzz. I will eat an occasional strawberry, but again, they have to be perfectly ripe. Mangos are too slimy. And I have a fierce love/hate relationship with bananas--some days I hate them and the mere thought of eating one turns my stomach, other days I actually have a craving for them and can eat two or three in one sitting.

Steven is much the same. I've only really ever seen him eat apples and watermelon, and these days he seems to be developing some sort of strange allergy to apples because his ears start itching and his throat feels tight whenever he eats one. Needless to say, before Cadence came along, we never really kept a whole lot of fruit in the house.

When you have children, little things like eating healthier suddenly become a bit more important. When Cadence was old enough to start solid foods, I decided I was going to make all homemade baby food from fresh fruits and vegetables. It's really not hard--steam or boil everything until it is super soft, puree, and just like that, instant baby food. With our refrigerator suddenly filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, I decided that maybe the answer to Steven and my fruit aversion was to "hide" the fruits in a smoothie. After all, my stepmom Wendy had made us some fruit smoothies when we were in Colorado visiting, and we both loved them, so maybe it was time to give it a try.

Since that first batch, Steven and I have been completely addicted. We've had all sorts of combinations of kiwi, cherries, mango, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, raspberries, etc. We've even had a little banana in our smoothies and still enjoyed the results. I have yet to blend in any vegetables like carrot or spinach, but I am always game to try. And if it means we are all a little healthier, it is soooo worth it!

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to the creative ways we find to eat healthier. Looking for some more fruits and veggies in your (or your children's) diet? Maybe it's time to bust out the blender and try a smoothie.

Sorry I can't give you a recipe. I always just sort of eyeball the ingredients and make our batches to taste. We enjoy frozen smoothies the best, so we use frozen fruit, plain yogurt, a little fruit juice (Cranberry Pomegranate with no added sugar), and some water to thin it out if needed. This is what was on tonight's menu:

After burning out the motor on our last blender, we bought this Waring Pro and I LOVE it! Powerful enough to make frozen smoothies and crush ice, and best of all MADE IN THE USA!

All natural plain yogurt. One of these days, I want to try Greek yogurt too.

Frozen peaches.

Frozen strawberries.

Frozen blackberries.

Frozen raspberries.

Frozen blueberries.

Add fruits one at a time, and add water and/or fruit juice to thin as needed until fully blended.

Serve and enjoy.

365 Project - Day 138 - The First Rule of Fight Club...

2011-05-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love most about being back in Nebraska is finally feeling really reconnected with nature. Even living in the middle of Lincoln, our backyard is a playground for the local wildlife. At any point during the day, I can look out the windows and see squirrels, rabbits and dozens of different birds. I've been trying to figure out a way to get some good photos of the animals that frequent our yard, but it seems that every time I grab my camera and open the door, Electra manages to squeeze through and chase everyone away before I get the chance.

Electra's latest obsession is the family of rabbits that hops into our yard six or seven times a day. I'm not sure exactly how many rabbits there are, but I have seen at least four of them in the yard at one time. Electra didn't even know what to do with herself that day. She took off chasing one rabbit, and another one ran right by her, causing her to turn so sharply that she lost her balance and rolled twice before landing back on her feet to continue the chase. By then, all four of the rabbits were sitting safely on the other side of the neighbor's chain link fence, mocking our poor clumsy hound dog.

Tonight, while Electra was locked in the kitchen eating her dinner, I noticed two of the rabbits out in the yard grazing. Figuring this might be my only chance to actually get a few shots without my dog barreling out the door and scaring the rabbits away, I quickly grabbed my camera.

I eased the sliding glass door open just far enough for my camera to fit through, and then stood in front of the opening so Cadence couldn't escape. I zoomed in, focused, and squeezed off a few shots.

As I stood watching, things suddenly took a very strange turn and I found myself in the middle of Rabbit Fight Club, right there in my own backyard.

I barely had time to move my camera and focus as the rabbits jumped and kicked and bounced off each other. I followed the action as best I could, laughing so hard I felt tears beginning to form in my eyes.

Cadence was doing her best to push my leg out of the way so she could squeeze out the door, and poor Electra was still in the kitchen licking her now empty food bowl, completely unaware that her arch rivals were duking it out in the backyard at that very moment. Had she actually been able to tear her attention away from her food bowl, Electra just might have been able to actually catch one of the rabbits while they were busy distracting each other.

Instead, the fight continued.

In the midst of the fray, a robin stood watching like a referee.

Between rounds, the rabbits would stare each other down with their beady brown eyes, sizing each other up before leaping into the air and attacking again.

Finally, after several frenzied attacks and a few rather impressive aerial stunts, the rabbits seemed to have settled whatever disagreement started the whole mess.

One rabbit hopped away and exited the yard through a hole in the wood fence, while the other meandered slowly, snacking on a few dandelion stems and posing for a few close-up portraits near the bottom of the steps.

Congratulations my furry little friend, for tonight you were victorious.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to some truly hare-raising entertainment. :-) Just remember, the first rule of Rabbit Fight Club is...

365 Project - Day 137 - Black Thumb

2011-05-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

I'm not a flower person. I'm pretty sure this is at the top of one of Steven's "Reasons My Wife Is Awesome" lists. He never has to spend money on roses for Valentine's Day. He never has to remember my favorite type of flower to surprise me with an elaborate bouquet for our anniversary.

Don't get me wrong. I love flowers. I think they are stunning examples of God's intricate handiwork. I love the scent, the vibrant colors, the delicate folds of the petals and leaves. I even love the fact that their beauty is so fleeting, because even though they may wither and die at the end of a season, there is always the promise of a glorious rebirth.

I guess I just hate to see flowers cut, because even though they might make a beautiful bouquet, they just never seem to last very long, especially not for me. I'm the polar opposite of a Green Thumb. I even managed to kill a cactus once. I swear I followed all the directions to the letter, and then one day (about two weeks after buying it), I reached out and lightly touched one of the spines with my finger and watched in awe as the entire cactus crumbled into a pile of lumpy dust beneath my hand. I took that as a very distinct sign that I should not pursue a career in horticulture.

Grandma Luethje always loved flowers and plants, and she and Grandpa had a massive garden in the backyard, complete with fruit trees and a strawberry patch. I always marveled at the way she could make anything grow. One of these days, I would like to try my hand at planting a little garden, and when I do, I hope I can somehow channel some of Grandma's magic After the funeral yesterday, each of the grandchildren and great grandchildren chose a few flowers from the bouquets to take home with us, and I wanted to be sure I captured a little of their beauty while I could.

Tonight's 365 Project is dedicated to the beautiful flowers we love so much.

365 Project - Day 136 - Saying Goodbye to Grandma Luethje

2011-05-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

In honor of my Grandma, Lucille Luethje, I would like to post the tribute I wrote for her and read today at her funeral:

It’s times that these that being the writer in the family is not all it’s cracked up to be. What do you write about a woman like Lucille Luethje? Funny how I can churn out a nearly flawless 20-page research paper the night before it’s due, yet I find it so difficult to sit down and write a tribute to my grandmother. Even funnier how all the fancy words I know suddenly seem to glaringly inaccurate, so uninspired, for how do you capture the spirit of a woman who meant so much to so many different people?

Some of my earliest memories are of Grandma Luethje—holidays spent at the house in Bertrand and family gatherings at the cabin at Johnson Lake. Grandma loved to cook, and was a magician in the kitchen, always cooking and baking for family gatherings. She made the best ham gravy, and baked a mean pecan pie. The sugar and peanut butter cookies she made were so addictive that I would dream about them for months afterward. She was always so glad to have her children and her grandchildren come visit, and we always had so much fun on our trips to Grandma’s house.

Grandma was a natural storyteller with an impeccable memory. When Mom, Dad, Lindy and I would pick her up to head to Utica and visit the Uncles, the drive always passed quickly as Grandma chatted and told stories. It seemed she had something to say about each farmhouse we passed along the way. She would tell us who lived there when she was young, who they sold the place to, their children’s names, their grandchildren’s names, what kind of car they used to drive, and on and on. Grandma would entertain us stories of her childhood--like the time she hit a boy over the head with her metal lunch bucket, or the day a band of gypsies came traveling through and tried to take Uncle Bob.

As the only girl in a houseful of 5 boys, it’s no mystery what helped form Grandma Luethje’s strong personality. All she ever really needed to do was give a stern look and shake her finger to make you behave. She loved her brothers dearly, and I think it’s safe to say that they adored her in return. Nothing could bring a smile to Grandma’s face faster than knowing her brothers and their wives were coming for a visit, and the large family gatherings were always filled with good food, rowdy card games, and lots and lots of laughter.

Mother Theresa once said, “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.” I think Grandma knew exactly what she meant. She was the matriarch of our family, in every sense of the word, holding us together even after we lost Grandpa in 1998. In the 12 years since Grandpa passed, there have certainly been moments when Grandma questioned her ability to live on without him, but she did live on, because God knew that there were still some very important things that Grandma had to do.

You see, life is a lot like school. Every situation and every person we encounter offers us an opportunity to learn, and Grandma stuck around for nearly 91 years to teach us some very important lessons. She taught us that hard, meticulous work can yield incredible results. She taught us to be appreciative of the things we have, and to never be wasteful. She taught us the importance of preserving one’s history, to hold dear to the stories and memories you treasure, and to pass those memories along to the next generation. Most importantly, Grandma taught us that love is a bond that can never be broken, and that family is something worth treasuring above all else.

Grandma Luethje - 90th Birthday, August 2010

All of us - children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren

The grandchildren and great-grandchildren

365 Project - Day 135 - I Scream, You Scream...

2011-05-15T23:13:00.002-07:00

Contrary to popular belief (ahem...Momma Dawn), Cadence does not live on a diet of healthy fruits, vegetables and whole grains alone. Sure, I tried to hold off on introducing her to sugary sweets as long as possible when she was first starting to eat solid foods, but I have no problem with junk food. Hell, I enjoy the stuff myself, so why would I deprive my daughter? I do try to give Cadence sugary sweets in moderation though, so she will be able to understand that they are a once-in-awhile treat and not an essential food group.

The best part about watching Cadence try new foods is that it's almost like I get to experience them for the first time all over again. She has no problem letting us know what she likes, what she doesn't like, and what she wants "Moh! Moh! Moh!" (More! More! More!) of. I have to say, I am developing a whole new appreciation for foods that I never really gave a second thought to--foods like green beans, broccoli, pears, rice cakes, potatoes, and Cheerios.

After a long day roadtripping to Holdrege to spend the afternoon with the family at Grandma Luethje's visitation, it was nice to sit down with my folks, Uncle Doug and Aunt Vinnetta, and the Bertrand Nebraska Cowboy himself, Jim Bowen, to snack on some cheese, crackers and summer sausage. Always such a good eater, Cadence packed away a good amount of steamed broccoli, cheese and crackers, so when Uncle Doug busted out an ice cream sandwich for dessert, I was game to let her give it a try.

Cadence has only recently developed a liking for ice cream, after Steven and I shared a few bites of the ice cream we bought at the UNL Dairy Store. It's pretty clear now though, that ice cream sandwiches are near the top of her List of Favorites.

Tonight's 365 Project entry is dedicated to those delicious ice cream sandwiches. Watching Cadence share one with her Great Uncle Doug totally made my night!

365 Project - Day 134 - I Heart Gift Cards

2011-05-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

I am not particularly fond of gift giving. Okay, so maybe that is not entirely true. I just think that people are way too hung up on the whole thing. Holiday after holiday, celebration after celebration, gifts have become an expectation instead of a pleasant surprise. Some people spend way too much time and money, driving themselves crazy and putting themselves in debt as they try to find the absolute perfect gift for everyone on their list. Others hardly put any time, energy or thought into it at all, plucking random items from the sales racks and, not even really caring whether the recipients are going to like what they've chosen or not.

If you ask me, giving someone a gift should be an enjoyable exchange for everyone involved. The giver shouldn't feel like they have to go overboard, and should be confident in their choice. And the recipient should feel pleasantly surprised and flattered by both the gesture and the gift itself. That is why one of my favorite gifts is a gift card.

Now, some people tend to think that a gift card is a totally cheap, cop out gift, but I beg to differ. A well-chosen gift card is actually the perfect for absolutely anyone. It shows that you know the recipient well enough to pick out a gift card to one of their favorite stores, and it gives them the freedom to pick out the exact item that they have been pining for. Gift cards totally save the awkwardness of accidentally choosing the wrong size or picking out a gift that the recipient already owns.

The best thing about gift cards is that these days you can purchase a gift card or a gift certificate for just about anything--from clothing boutiques and bookstores to restaurants and online services like XBox Live or ITunes. I've received gift cards to Borders, Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Harkins Movie Theaters, Old Navy, Bed Bath and Beyond, WalMart, Target, Dolce Salon and Spa, Starbucks, Macy's, Regal Theaters, Amazon, Lord & Taylor, Babies R Us, Toys R Us, and a dozen other shops and restaurants and let me tell you, they have all been put to good use. No regifting or exchanging necessary.

Tonight, it was like Christmas all over again when I discovered an old unused Lord & Taylor gift card given to me by my friend Katie when I lived in NY. Unfortunately, I moved to Arizona before I had a chance to use it, so I tucked it away in my wallet for later. I think tomorrow is looking like a good day to do a little online shopping. Thanks Katie!

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to the perfect anytime gift. Never underestimate the power of the gift card.

365 Project - Day 133 - Comfort Foods

2011-05-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

You know, it's amazing how after a long, hard day, a tall glass of milk and a couple of cookies can make everything better.

Same goes for chocolate.

And hard liquor. ;-)

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to those little things that just have a way of taking the sting out.

365 Project - Day 132 - Thunderstorms

2011-05-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

Since Blogger was down all day yesterday and part of today, I had to post yesterday's 365 Photo on Facebook. I thought I'd post it here now that Blogger is back up, just because photos never look quite like they are supposed to on Facebook.

Yesterday, we got our first official thunderstorm of the year. There were a couple tornadoes spotted out to the northwest of us, nowhere near hitting Lincoln. Instead, what we got was thunder, lightning, wind, rain, and even a little hail. Cadence and I stood out on the front porch for a bit, watching the mayhem. She is certainly her mother's daughter, because she was loving every minute of it.

Yesterday's 365 Project is dedicated to our first thunderstorm of the season. We're already looking forward to more!

365 Project - Day 131 - A Little Taste of New Orleans

2011-05-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with New Orleans the moment I crossed into the city limits in July of 1997. If it wasn't for the fact that I needed to return to my part-time summer job and to begin my senior year of high school, I might have decided to just stay in the bayou indefinitely. There was just something about New Orleans that struck me, that pulled me in and made me feel like I was leaving a piece of myself behind when I left. Steven and I keep saying that one of these days when we finally get to go on a honeymoon, New Orleans is at the very top of our list.

I have done my fair share of traveling, yet there are only a few places that I fallen so hopelessly in love with. New Orleans is one of those cities that has it's own distinct rhythm, it's own unique flavor and culture. From the deliciously spicy Cajun and Creole cuisine to the sultry Jazz music that spills onto the street from the open doors of the French Quarter clubs, New Orleans just seemed to fit me, like my favorite pair of well-worn shoes.

If I had to pinpoint a time and place where my culinary adventures really began, it would be that trip to New Orleans. My friends Scott and Tammy and I thought it would be a crime to choose a chain or fast food place over any of the dozens of small restaurants and Mom & Pop shops we passed as we strolled the streets near our hotel, so I ended up ordering something completely new and different for every meal. From Po' Boys and beignets to jambalaya and deep fried alligator, I tried it all, and absolutely loved every bite.

Since Steven and I decided that it was finally time to head to the grocery store to restock our bare pantry and fridge, I spent a little time browsing through recipes for new things we might want to try. I came across a recipe for slow cooker Cajun chicken and shrimp creole and decided to give it a try. I scaled back a little on the pepper and spices so Cadence could try it without her mouth catching on fire. I also added some Italian sausage, since the recipe only called for chicken and shrimp, and I have to say, it was pretty darn close to some of the dishes I ate in Louisiana.

Tonight's 365 Project entry is dedicated to one of my absolute favorite places in the world. I hope to be back to visit someday soon. Until then, I'm glad I found a way to enjoy a little taste of New Orleans right here at home.

And just in case you want to try this recipe for yourself...

Cajun Chicken & Shrimp Creole

Ingredients:
2 lbs. skinless chicken thighs
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 15oz. can stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. shelled shrimp, deveined and cleaned
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Louisiana hot sauce to taste
2 cups prepared rice
(I also added 6 Italian sausages, browned and sliced)

Directions:
Place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients except for the shrimp, lemon juice, hot sauce and rice. Cover. Cook on Low for 8-10 hours or on High for 4-5 hours.

In the last hour of cooking, add the shrimp, lemon juice and hot sauce.

Serve over the hot rice.

Makes 6 servings.

365 Project - Day 130 - Lima Beans

2011-05-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

My child loves lima beans. I know, I shouldn't complain. I just think it's a little strange that my daughter adores one of the foods that is loathed by other children (and most adults) the world over. I keep thinking that one of these days, Cadence is going to wake up and suddenly go on a food strike.

After experimenting with just about every fruit and vegetable we could find--from kiwi and blackberries to asparagus and zucchini--we only encountered one food that Cadence absolutely abhored.

Bananas.

The first time I gave Cadence a bite of banana, she squinted her eyes closed tightly and puckered her mouth, as though she had just tasted something extremely sour. Then, her eyes widened, her face turned a deep reddish purple and she gagged, loudly and repeatedly, until the mushy bite fell out of her mouth. At Cadence's next checkup, her pediatrician was surprised to hear that she had such a strong reaction to bananas.

"Really?" he asked, incredulously. "That's funny. Most kids love bananas. Maybe just give it a few months and try again. Sometimes children will completely refuse to eat something, and then all of a sudden it becomes their favorite."

I waited over three months before giving bananas another go. I didn't even get the bite in Cadence's mouth. The mere smell of the fruit made her grimace and gag, so I gave up. It didn't really hurt my feelings, or Steven's for that matter. Neither of us like bananas, so we just chalk it up to her genetics.

I really thought I was testing Cadence's limits when I picked up a bag of lima beans in the supermarket for her to try, but I figured it was worth a shot. After all, this is the girl that ate only a few bites of the grilled cheese I ordered for her when we went out to eat with my cousin Shelly and her husband Jason a few months back, but insisted on eating almost all of the steamed broccoli off Jason's plate. Truth be told, I think Jason was glad that Cadence was taking the broccoli off his hands, and I learned that the safest bet for Cadence at any restaurant is an order of steamed vegetables, preferably something green.

When I picked up the lima beans, Steven wrinkled his nose and told me I was crazy, but lo and behold, Cadence started shoveling them into her mouth almost as fast as I could shovel them onto her tray. So, we add another vegetable to our growing list of mealtime possibilities until the day my daughter finally decides that enough is enough.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to my adventurous eater and her obsession with all foods green. Thank you dear, for being so willing to try the things I put in front of you. I promise I will try to keep things as tasty and interesting as I can, and someday, when you go off to college and find that there are not near as many different choices, I hope you'll look back on these days with an appreciative smile.

365 Project - Day 129 - Ain't Nothin' Like the Summer

2011-05-09T22:04:00.000-07:00

"Well, I love those summer days,
Driftin' on by like a slow parade.
And everything feels fine in the warm sunshine
When your world unwinds,
And ya kick back in your flip-flops,
And ya don't care about the tick-tock,
And the world is full of music, dreams, and lovers.
There ain't nothin' like the summer."

-Carmen Rasmusen

I wasn't one of the typical kids who loved summer simply because it meant a reprieve from school and studying. I always loved everything about the summer. I love the sunshine, the heat, the lengthened days. I love the fact that the whole world just seems to move a little slower in the summer. I love tall glasses of iced tea, cherry-flavored popsicles and swimming in the neighborhood pool. I love spending long lazy days lying out in the sun reading a book and listening to the radio. I love camping trips with friends, late night campfire talks and catching fish in the lake.

I know it's not quite summer yet, but the temperatures have been rising here this week. I have to admit I'm getting excited for the summer to arrive. I'm looking forward to days spent in the park, long walks on the bike trail, teaching Cadence how to swim at the pool, and maybe even a camping trip or two.

To take advantage of the beautiful weather today, Cadence and I spent our afternoon playing in the backyard. With the temperature climbing to the 90's, I stripped her down to her tie-dye onesie and let her roam, snapping photos of her adventures, and I figured I'd post some of my favorites from the day.

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to my favorite season. There ain't nothin' like the summer.

New discoveries every day.

Without fail, we always head right to the dirt hole.

Hmmm...this looks interesting.

You know, if Momma would stop snapping pictures, I'd probably taste this stuff.

What the heck is Electra doing?

Ahhhhhh! Now that's the life!

And she's up!

Looking embarrassed that we caught her wallowing in the grass.

Keeping an eye on Electra.

And back to the dirt.

You're still taking pictures?

Electra taking a bite of the leaf Cadence found, just to make sure it's not food.

365 Project - Day 128 - Our Greatest Hits

2011-05-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

My Mom likes to tell the story of a telephone conversation we had my freshman year of college. I told her I'd met the nicest guy, Steven Romano, and that if he asked me to marry him that day, I would absolutely say yes. I never believed in love at first sight. I still don't. I think that love is something you have to grow into, something develops and intensifies with the passing of time. What I do believe in though is gut instincts, intuition, and I think mine were ringing loud and clear the moment I first met Steven.

We didn't do anything particularly special today--my second Mother's Day as an actual Mother. We slept in (thank you Cadence and Electra both for obliging). We had egg bagels (thank you Bruegger's Bagels for knowing what the hell those are and making a pretty decent version). We watched a movie (Invictus--great flick and worth a watch if you haven't seen it), watched the Mets play (and lose unfortunately). We took Electra and Cadence for a run at the dog park (well Cadence ran, Electra mostly sauntered and sniffed). Steven bought me some chocolate ice cream from the UNL Dairy Store. We had pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner. I got a chance to talk to all of my Moms on the phone. And then we finished off the evening with some Celebrity Apprentice and finally watched Starr Jones get fired. All in all, it was a damn good day.

What I didn't do was pick up a pen to write anything (well other than this blog, since there is technically no such thing as a day off when you commit to doing a 365 Project) or pick up my camera. Should I have made an effort to get in front of the camera today? Perhaps. But I guess what I wanted more than anything else today was a well-deserved break. That's exactly what I got, and I loved every minute of it.

So, for today's 365 Project Entry, instead of posting a new pic, I thought I'd take the opportunity to post a few of what I consider our Greatest Hits. Regardless of the quality (as several of these were snapped with a cell phone camera), thse are some of my absolute favorites. Thank you to Steven, Cadence and Electra for the wonderful day, and for giving me a good reason to celebrate it!

My #1 favorite photo of Stevie and me. Boy do we look young!

Electra listening in on Cadence. This used to be her prime napping spot until Cadence took over Mom's lap.

For the longest time, Steven tried to deny even liking Electra a little bit, but photos don't lie.

The only way anyone got any real sleep in those early days.

Not the greatest idea to bounce your baby around and put her on your shoulders right after she ate. Ewww!

Our first and best (and only) family photo so far. Love it! But I think it's time for an update.

Daddy and his girls ready to take on the bike trail.

Just the girls.

Makes me think of "Walking After You" by Foo Fighters.

365 Project - Day 127 - I Heart Faces Photo Challenge - Motherhood

2011-05-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

No matter how many books you read, no matter how much advice your given, no matter how long you have to wait for that little bundle of joy to arrive, motherhood is one of those things that you're never quite prepared for. You just dive into it and learn by trial and error exactly how to keep your head above water. You do the very best you can and pray that it's enough.

One of the best things about motherhood is that you suddenly become a seasoned pro at each and every profession that once made an appearance on your "What I Want To Be When I Grow Up" list. As a chef, you learn new recipes to adeptly incorporate healthy vegetables into your children's favorite meals (often without their knowledge). You become a race car driver, as you hurry to pick up your children from school on time. You doctor bloody cuts, perform surgery on splinters and nurse your sick children back to health. When your children misbehave or break the rules you are the lawyer, jury and judge on the case. You become an award-winning actress, keeping a straight face when your three-year-old spouts his first curse word, and you play the part of stand-up comedian to make your baby laugh through her tears.

If mothers were actually compensated for for their time and talents, their annual salaries would certainly rival most professional athletes. Funny how the world works sometimes, isn't it?

Yet even if we will never make millions of dollars or receive standing ovations for our hard work, we mothers wouldn't trade our jobs for anything.

This week, the I Heart Faces Photo Challenge is "Motherhood" and this photo jumped out at me immediately as I became a hair stylist for my daughter this past week--definitely not a profession I ever imagined myself jumping into! The things we do for our children!

This Mother's Day, I hope you will take the time to appreciate the mothers in your life. I don't know that it's even possible to thank them for all they have done, but it sure doesn't hurt to try. Happy Mother's Day!!!

Be sure to head over to the I Heart Faces website to check out all the other amazing Motherhood entries.

365 Project Day 126 - Topics for Therapy

2011-05-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

Call me lazy for not taking a new photo today. It's been a long week of working on photos and writing assignments and I am just plain tired and need a break. In my defense though, I have a few things that I've been wanting to post for awhile now, so I'll use them as sort of a Free Homework Pass today.

All kids, at one point or another, go through a stage where they are completely embarassed by their parents--whether it's Mom breaking out the baby photos when her daughter brings home her first boyfriend, or Dad falling off the fashion train and wearing questionable clothing combinations in public. With the invention of camera, video cameras, computers and online social networking sites, kids have more odds than ever to have their parents embarass them publicly. We figured we might as well start Cadence off early, that way it won't be quite as devastating when she becomes a hormonal adolescent.

First, a video of some of Cadence's finest dance moves, which are always on display whenever she hears music. Her latest favorite is Dancing with the Stars, and she has some pretty sweet ballroom dancing moves already. My personal favorite though is when she sees Ellen Degeneres dancing on her talk show and joins in to dance along. Yes, I know she is way too close to the TV. But when you have a massive TV and a tiny living room, every seat is too close.

Next, we have a photo that was taken when Cadence and I visited Arizona in February. While I was getting ready for bed and brushing my teeth, Cadence decided to ransack the suitcase. Apparently she thought a pair of my underwear made a nifty hat. Don't worry, there were only clean clothes in the suitcase since I always keep the dirty clothes separate.

Apparently Cadence has and underwear-for-hats fetish because she likes to raid Steven's underwear drawer at home too. Here's a video of her after she managed to snag a pair of his boxers from the bedroom before I could close the door.

For tonight's 365 Project entry, I give you a photo and two short videos that may well end up being topics of conversation some day should Cadence need to seek therapy being raised by two goofballs like Steven and I. But as you've seen here, the goofball personality is obvious genetic. Thanks for the laughs baby girl!

365 Project - Day 125 - How Hard Is It Really?

2011-05-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think people don't take me seriously when I tell them I'm a photographer. Hell, I always had a hard time telling people I was a writer too. Add photographer to the mix and it's a double whammy. For some reason, people tend to think that writers and photographers don't really work for a living. I mean, how hard is it to write stories and snap photos, right?

Most people imagine photography to be a cushy, work-when-you-want kind of job where you can set your own flexible hours and make tons of money for doing very little actual work. After all, this is the digital age. You should be able to spend some money on a fancy DSLR camera and automatically take better photos, right?

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about photography is that it is as easy as just snapping a photo and printing it to hang on the wall. Most people don't know that after the actual session is over, the photographer's real work begins. The photos must be uploaded, catalogued and sorted. A professional photographer is only going to use the absolute best images, so all the photos are scrutinized and narrowed down to the very best for post processing and editing.

Before digital cameras and computer editing software like Photoshop, photographers spent their time in the darkroom processing images to achieve their desired results. These days, programs like Photoshop are essentially a computerized darkroom, allowing photographers to make their images reflect their own personal style. It also allows photographers to "fix" things in photos that detract from the shot. Of course, most professional photographers try to take the best possible photos during the actual photo shoot to help cut down on the processing time later, but sometimes you just can't control all the variables, and you end up having to spend a little extra time cleaning things up in the digital darkroom.

For instance, I recently photographed a friend of mine as she got ready to attend her first high school prom. She and her friends headed outside to take a large group photo on the lawn. It was mid-afternoon, so the sun was bright and the shadows harsh. With such a large group, there weren't a lot of options of where to stand to get a great shot without a lot of distracting clutter in the background. I settled for this angle, and fired off a few shots while the kids were goofing around. I ended up loving their expressions in this shot, but absolutely hated the big bare trees and the cars in the background. When I decided to get rid of all the "stuff" that was ruining the shot, I knew it was going to be a painstakingly slow process to get it just right, but boy was it worth it!

BEFORE

AFTER

Just like working in the the old darkroom, digitally processing and editing photos is often long, tedious, and sometimes very frustrating work. Photographers spend hours poring over the images from every session so they can present the best possible product for their clients. We want every single one of our images to reflect our own unique, artistic vision, and we won't settle for anything less than perfection. So, is photography a great profession? Absolutely. I love it almost as much as I love writing. Is it the ultra cushy, nobrainer job that many people think it is? Why don't you give a try for yourself and tell me.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to the the professional writers, photographers and artists out there who make it all look so easy. Keep up the good work!

365 Project - Day 124 - Cadence's First Haircut

2011-05-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

Hair Stylist was never on my list of things I wanted to be when I grew up. I was always something of a Plain Jane, and a tomboy even, so I never spent a large amount of time fussing over my hair. Except for a few periods during my childhood where I sported a poufy Orphan Annie-style perm, my goto hairsyle has always been a a simple cut, layered around my face and long enough to be pulled back in a ponytail or hairclip when I wanted.

I started cutting people's hair when I was in college. My friend, Anette, wore her hair in a short pixie cut, and as poor college students, we didn't have a whole lot of extra money to spend going to the salon. So, when her hair started to get too long and straggly for her taste, I told her that I could probably try cutting it if she wanted. I went out and bought a pair of haircutting shears and gave it a go. Surprisingly, it turned out looking pretty darn well, and I ended up cutting Anette's through most of the rest of our college careers together. Since then, I have also tried my hand with a few other friends, some friends' children, my birthdad, and even my little brothers.

These days, I am even my husband's own personal stylist, though not by choice. Steven refuses to have his hair but by anyone other than me, and Paula--a long-time family from Long Island who has been cutting his hair since he was 10-years-old. Hell, Paula even came to our wedding in Vegas and gave Steven a much needed hair cut the night before our wedding so he wouldn't have to sport a mullet for the ceremony.

Steven says that I should be flattered that I am the only person other than Paula who is allowed to touch his hair, because that means I do a good job. Sometimes I believe him, and sometimes I think he just has me cut it because it's free and it means that he can drink a beer and watch a ballgame while he's getting a haircut. Either way I do it willingly enough because I know that Steven would be perfectly content to simply let his hair grow until the next time we visit Long Island, and I'm not to keen on my husband walking around with his hair hanging down in his eyes like Justin Bieber. No thank you.

I've been debating for months now whether or not to try cutting Cadence's hair. All of a sudden it just grew. One morning I went to get her out of her crib and noticed some of the hair on top of her head was hanging down in her eyes. It was weird though, because it was just a few wispy pieces, while her actual bangs were still growing and thickening ever so slowly underneath. For weeks I kept putting it off, wondering if I might actually be able to get her to sit still enough to let me try. The only other alternative would be to take her in to a salon and try to hold her in my lap while a stylist cut her hair. Knowing my little Energizer Bunny has issues being still, especially when there are a lot of other people around, I figured it would probably be a whole lot easier to just do it myself. At this point, I've had plenty of practice cutting her fidgety father's hair, so I guessed I could probably do a decent job, even if she didn't sit perfectly still.

Cadence was good as gold for the 15 minutes I needed to give her a good trim, and I have to say, I'm pretty proud of my handiwork. Of course, I had to set up the camera to get some shots of my baby girl's very first haircut, and here are my favorites:

I don't know who looks more nervous--Cadence or Electra?

Since I don't have a squirt bottle in the house, I just had to douse her with a little water from a cup.

She just doesn't look quite sure what to think.

Taking the first snips.

Making sure I get it even.

Electra checking in to make sure no one is eating without her.

Just a little off the back.

The hair is tickling our noses.

Making sure we get rid of the mullet without losing the curls.

Just a smidge more off the top.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Oh my gosh, is she still taking pictures?!?

Tonight's 365 Project entry is dedicated to Cadence and her first big girl haircut. My baby is growing up.

365 Project - Day 123 - PTPMO Epilogue

2011-05-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

Too bad that Steven was still sick and coughing like a fiend today, because he didn't feel like putting forth much effort to calling the number from the phony US Airlines letter we received in the mail yesterday. We did call though, even if the conversation wound up being rather uneventful. Here is the official transcript.

After dialing 1-866-219-9167 and hearing a couple of rings, we are greeted by a computerized female voice saying:

"You have reached the Travel Awards Division, please hold while we connect your call."

A few seconds later, there is a click, and an actual human being abruptly answers.

"Hello, this is Matt with Travel Awards. How can I help you?" the male says. His voice is flat and monotone.

"Hi yes, I received a letter that I needed to call this number in order to claim $1400 in travel rewards," Steven says.

"Oh yes, sir, I can definitely help you out," Matt says. "At the bottom of the letter, you should see a claim number. If you could just read that to me?"

"Yes, that would be C-Q-1-1-6-7-7," Steven says.

"And this is Steven?" Matt asks.

"That is correct," Steven replies.

"Okay, Steven, well just so you know, based on what I see here, you received an Award Notification for two roundtrip airlane tickets that are valued up to $1400."

"Okay," Steven says.

"Okay," Matt continues. "We're an award redemption company, Steven. We were hired by a wholesale travel agency in Lincoln who are trying to get their name out there to the local market, so this is their marketing promotion for your area. All that we ask for you to do to redeem your tickets is to stop by the travel ageny to pick them up and take a brief tour of their services while you're there. Their goal is to treat you really nice and provide you with the tickets in hopes that you keep them in mind when you plan your future vacation."

"Okay, and where is this place located?" Steven asks.

There is a long pause.

"Uh...right there in Lincoln, sir," Matt replies.

"Oh? What's the address?" Steven asks.

Another pause, and then Matt continues.

"Alright, sir, if you want to do this, we have to set up an appointment for you..."

"Oooh okay," Steven says, interrupting Matt's spiel, but Matt continues to muster through.

"...based on the information...There's some information I need to cover with you, probably, before you're ever going to make that decision, I'm sure."

"Uh-huh, okay," Steven says.

"If you'd like for me to go through that information with you, I could," Matt says, sounding a bit more curt than he did at the beginning of the conversation, and I wonder if he realizes that Steven and I are onto him.

"Uhhhhhhh, you know what? Not really. No," Steven says.

"Okay, bye." Matt says, quickly hanging up the phone.

Unfortunately Matt (if that was even this guy's real name) hung up before we even got the chance to ask some of the important questions in this case, questions like:

"How did you get Steven's name and mailing address? And how exactly did Steven get selected to win this prize?"

"What is the name and contact info of the travel agency in Lincoln?"

"Can we speak directly to Vice President Marcia Oneal? And just what exactly is she Vice President of?"

And perhaps the most important question, "How many people really fall for this scam?"

I'm guessing that once Steven calls and these people realize that he is not going to fall for their devious plan, that his name and phone number is erased from their list and perhaps even flagged so he is not contacted again (and perhaps even to alert the scammer if he tries to call again). Just for giggle though, I may try calling again tomorrow from my phone, just to see who answers.

Classic Steven "Can you believe this bullshit?" face.

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to those dedicated scammers. I wish I had that kind of free time. Lord knows I could put it to better use!

365 Project - Day 122 - People That Piss Me Off...

2011-05-02T21:05:00.000-07:00

I fancy myself a very laidback, easygoing girl. I've always taken pride in my ability to get along with pretty much anyone, and it takes a whooooole lot to make me angry. There are some people though, that can get me fired up every time. Call them what you want--crooks, con artists, swindlers, shysters, thieves--they are all the same, and they are definitely on my Top 5 People That Piss Me Off list.

I guess maybe I was just raised with more dignity than that. I guess my parents and my mentors and the people I looked up to instilled in me that it is important to treat fellow human beings with respect, and that it is imporant to live your life with morals and values. So, whenever I hear about people trying to take advantage of others, it always hits a raw nerve with me. I don't like dishonesty, and I don't like people that knowingly prey upon others for their own selfish gain.

In the mail today, Steven received this very ordinary looking envelope.

Of course, we noticed right away, the lack of return address. Steven's name and mailing address was handwritten, and the postmark said Phoenix, AZ, so we thought perhaps it was one of our friends or family members back in Arizona.

He opened it to see what was inside and found the following letter:

Really? I mean, really people???

This scam has so many holes in it, I don't even really know where to begin, but let me break it down for you...

First of all, there is no airline called US Airlines. US Airways, yes. United Airlines, yes. US Airlines? Doesn't exist. If you are going to pull a scam, at least do your research and try to appear halfway legit. This halfwitted attempt is an insult to anyone with even a shred of intelligence.

Secondly, if this letter was, in fact, sent from the Vice President of a major airline, you would expect it to be printed on decent quality letterhead. Companies who can afford to give away $1400 prizes can sure as hell afford some decent stationary. And, any company worth its salt would have put at least a little bit of thought into their corporate branding and marketing. They would have a unique and recognizeable logo, not something that appears to be an ink stain on the paper.

Third, an official letter would include a full return address, both on the envelope and within the letter. None of this smoke and mirrors "Call this random 866 number immediately to claim your prize" malarkey. In our digital age, almost every reputable company has a website that they proudly display on all of their marketing materials. You'd also be hardpressed to find such an official letter that has been handwritten--not in this day of laser printers and mailing labels.

I also love how they put the important NOTE at the beginning about how we must respond no later than May 4. See, that's how they get you. We received this letter today, on May 2, and these crooks deliberately bait their prey at the very beginning with a sense of urgency.

Do this now or lose it forever!!!

What they're hoping is that if they can get you all riled up and flustered right away, then maybe you won't pay as close attention to the finer details of their scam. They just want to get you on the phone. Then, the real games begin. They'll start promising you the world...all you have to do is give them your credit card or bank account number to pay the "taxes" or "surcharges" to claim your prize. Next thing you know, you've got a hole in your pocket where your life savings used to be, and that nice lady who took your information over the phone is nowhere to be found.

Of course, Steven and my first instinct was to just laugh at the foolishness and shred this letter, but then I had a better idea. Why not expose these losers on my blog? Sure, maybe only a handful of people actually read this thing, but hey, even a handful can spread the word. I even googled this scam and found a great blog by a computer consultant named Brian Morris out in PA who also posted about this scam. Click HERE to see what he has to say about it. Even better, if you want to have a little fun at the scammers expense, feel free to call the number in the letter (make sure to block your number first) and play your own practical joke on whomever answers the phone. You know that is the #1 item on my To Do list tomorrow. :-)

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to all the scammers out there. You are lousy human beings, and you will get what is coming to you eventually. Her name is Karma, and she can be a real b****.

Now, get out there and spread the word, people! Don't let any of your friends or loved ones fall for this one.

365 Project - Day 121 - My Buddy and Me

2011-05-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

I think one of my favorite things in the world these days is watching the relationship develop between Cadence and Electra. Of course there have been some growing pains--as Electra learns that Cadence is not steady enough on her feet to play full-contact tag, and as Cadence learns that Electra is not a stepstool to climb on the couch. In spite of the learning curve, these two have been friends since the very beginning, and seem to grow a little closer and more in tune with each other every day.

These days, Cadence and Electra spend a good portion of their day playing in front of the big patio doors, where they can look out for any trespassing squirrels and keep an eye out for the neighbor dog Thunder. Most of the time, both of them scatter as soon as I try to grab the camera, but today I managed to get a couple shots before they broke camp.

You can't see me.

Who us? We weren't doing anything.

Who goes there?

Hey! Are you listening?

My buddy and me.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to my two favorite girls.

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge - Soft & Sweet

2011-05-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

When I saw that the theme for this week's I Heart Faces Challenge was "Soft & Sweet", I thought of this photo immediately. I had so much fun doing a photo shoot and spending the day with my aunt, uncle and baby cousin, and this was one of my absolute favorite shots from our day together. Here is one little boy who adores his Momma, and I would wager to say the feeling is mutual.

Be sure to head on over to I Heart Faces to check out the other soft and sweet entries this week!

365 Project - Day 120 - The Great Outdoors

2011-04-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

It's been a long couple of days cooped up in the house sick again, so I decided it was high time Cadence and I headed outside for some fresh air and sunshine. We walked laps through the yard, picking flowers and finding sticks in the grass. Of course, once Cadence found her dirt hole, she settled in to play while I snapped several dozen photos.

These days, it's almost impossible to get her to look at the camera. She seems to have wised up to all of my tricks. If I wait patiently enough though, I can usually catch her glancing over to make sure her Momma is watching her play.

Here are a few of my favorites from our afternoon in the great outdoors.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to the fresh air and sunshine that always makes us feel better! Let's hope spring is finally here to stay!

365 Project - Day 119 - Prom, Take 2

2011-04-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

So, I spent most of my day working on photos from Katie's prom. It's my goal to get them finished up this weekend. We'll see if I make it. So, for today's 365 Project, I'm posting one of my favorite funny photos from the day. Don't worry, no teenagers were harmed in the making of this photo.

365 Project - Day 118 - The Breaking Point

2011-04-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's official. We all got sick again. Don't know exactly what it is or where we got it, but Cadence started running a fever last night and kept us up most of the night just wanting to be held. My scratchy throat turned into a half-clogged nose, an achy body and a low-grade fever. And Steven ended up staying home from work feeling almost as crappy as I am.

I didn't have much time or energy today to pick up the camera and get a good photo, but I did manage to snap this one when I got out of the shower and saw how Cadence had fallen asleep on her Daddy's lap...

Of course, as soon as I got down on the floor and started snapping photos, nosy ol' Electra had to get up and come over to see what I was doing, and managed to wake Cadence up in the process. Cadence rolled off Steven's lap, and just stayed there for a few moments, looking dazed and rather pathetic.

Luckily, it wasn't too much later that her fever finally broke. After a bath and a bottle, she was back to her energetic lttle self, running around the living room, clapping along with Mr. Met as we watched a little baseball and climbing up on the couch to see if she could steal the remote or maybe one of our cell phones.

Between passing Cadence back and forth between us, Steven did manage to get a little work done on my website, and I was able to finish up my last article for the June magazines. Four articles written in four days. Not bad if you ask me. But now I am thoroughly exhausted, both physically and mentally, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I might get to spend a little bit of time tomorrow just relaxing and enjoying some time with my daughter.

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to my sick little family. Here's hoping tomorrow is a healthier day.

365 Project - Day 117 - Tea For Two

2011-04-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

I was in denial most of the day yesterday, even after the slight tickle in my throat became unbearably scratchy. It's just allergies, I told myself. And I went to bed last night believing that I would wake up this morning and feel right as rain.

No such luck.

When I woke, I noticed that not only was my throat still super scratchy, but that I was also starting to feel like I was running a low grade fever. You know that feeling--when your face and ears feel hotter than the rest of your body, and every now and then you'll get a chill, even though the temperature in the room is perfectly normal.

I gotta say, I'm going to be downright irritated if I'm actually getting sick again. It seems like between Cadence, Steven and I, we were sick for a month with the last round of crap we caught back in February. Unfortunately, this evening, Cadence started acting like she wasn't feeling good either and began running a low grade fever. We gave her some Tylenol and put her to bed, and we can only hope that she'll be able to get a good night's sleep and wake tomorrow feeling like herself again.

To ease my throat, I decided to make myself a cup of tea with honey to drink before bed. I've always been a big fan of chai, but it was officially dethroned as my favorite when one of my coworkers recommended Blackberry Sage tea back when I was pregnant with Cadence. I set the kettle on the stove and finished washing the dishes from dinner as I waited for it to boil.

I thought it seemed like a Rosie the Riveter kind of night, so I pulled the mug down from the cupboard. I stirred in some honey and let the tea steep for a few minutes.

All the while, Electra had been in the kitchen, but I hadn't been paying her much attention. Once Cadence goes to bed and we take the baby gate out of the kitchen doorway, Electra usually spends a good twenty minutes sniffing around and making sure there are no stray crumbs on the floor. I assumed that she was just doing her nightly rounds, until I looked down and saw this...

Apparently, I had been standing too close to her cookie container when I was making my tea. Another couple minutes and the strings of drool might have actually reached the floor.

Today's 365 Project entry is the the lovely people that brought me Blackberry Sage tea, and to my crazy dog and her food-induced drooling issues.

365 Project - Day 116 - Channel Surfing

2011-04-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

Things have changed around the Romano house since Cadence finally figured out how to climb up on the couch. We had to do a bit of rearranging (ie moving things up higher or hiding them in the kitchen beyond the baby gate). We also now spend a large portion of our day repeating the words "Sit on your butt!" over and over and over. She thinks it's funny to sit like a little angel just long enough for us to take our eyes off of her, and then stand up and start either dancing, jumping, or trying to climb on the end table the minute we're distracted.

Cadence has also developed quite an obsession with both the TV remote and my laptop. I don't know if it's because she likes pressing the buttons, if it's because she sees Steven and I using them and she wants to try too, or if it's simply because she enjoys our reactions whenever she gets ahold of them and starts wreaking havoc. My guess is it's some combination of all three, and she spends most of her waking hours coming up with devious schemes to get her little hands on them.

Her latest ruse is crawling up on my lap to snuggle and then pursing her lips like she wants a kiss. Oh so sweet! What Mom can resist that, right? But as soon as I pucker up and lean in to give my darling daughter a smooch, she reaches around me and either grabs the remote or starts hammering on my keyboard.

Little turd. I think I must tell her at least a dozen times a day that she's lucky she's so cute.

I love tonight's photo because I managed to catch her in the act. While Steve was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner and Cadence was playing with some of her toys on the floor, I took a moment for a quick bathroom break. When I emerged, there was Cadence, climbing up on the couch. When she saw that I had returned, she dropped down and sat, oh so innocently.

I grabbed my camera and waited.

It didn't take long before noticed her little hand creeping toward the remote that was sitting beside her. She thinks she's so slick, but tonight, she's totally busted.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to my daughter and her devious ways. I've got my eye on you little girl!

365 Project - Day 115 - Bending the Rules

2011-04-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

Grandparents are funny. I get such a kick out of watching my parents interact with my daughter, because she's not yet even 15 months old and she's already got every single one of them wrapped around her chubby little finger.

Had I been paying closer attention, I might have noticed that my parents were gradually getting more lax the older I got, but instead it just sort of hit me when I saw them interacting with their grandchildren how much they had changed. The rules they enforced so strictly when I was growing up were suddenly nonexistent.

They don't get after Cadence for climbing on the couch with her shoes on, or dumping every single toy in the basket in a heap on the floor, and then leaving the room without picking any of them up. Suddenly, snacking before dinner is okay and if Cadence signs "more", they don't even hesitate to give her whatever her little heart desires. And if Cadence has had a hard time sleeping and falls asleep in the car, they are more than willing to drive around and waste a little gas so she can have a nap.

Steven even jokes about how his house was like a museum growing up. "It was cold, and you weren't allowed to touch anything." Yet now when the grandkids show up at Gamma and Pop Pop's house, there are far fewer limits to their freedom and play.

Funny how grandparents can so effortlessly spoil the grandchildren they adore--but I guess it's easy when you can just send the little hellions home with their parents at the end of the day.

While we were in Bertrand over Easter, I took a couple shots of Miss Cadence and her Papa Duane and thought they were just too cute not to share. He might try to deny that this little girl has stolen his heart, but I dare say the photos speak for themselves.

Drinking buddies.

My favorite shot! I love that you can see Cadence's reflection in her Papa's glasses.

Relaxing with Papa Duane.

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to those silly grandparents and the grandchildren they expertly spoil. To Cadence's Gamma and Pop Pop in New York, Pawpoo and Granny in Colorado, Nonna and Poppa in Arizona, and Grandma and Papa in Nebraska. We love you lots!!!

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge - Pets

2011-04-24T22:47:00.002-07:00

Since I first stumbled upon the I Heart Faces website and began following (and now entering) the weekly Photo Challenges, I have been looking forward to a Pet themed week. My entire life has been punctuated with pets, and the very few moments when I have not had one in my life, I felt like there was something missing.

The moment I saw Electra's sweet, droopy hound dog face, I knew that she was mine. My husband and I like to joke that she only has one expression. We've even discussed making a poster called "The Many Faces of Electra" to hang on our wall. Whether she's happy, sad, excited, frustrated, angry, or afraid--Electra always appears forlorn. It tends to earn her extra treats and back scratches from unsuspecting people with good intentions.

There are exactly two circumstance that cause Electra's expression to actually change:

1. When we ask her if she is ready to eat (or wants a cookie),

2. When she spies one of the resident rabbits in the backyard.

The change is subtle, just a widening of the eyes and a sharpening intensity in her gaze, but it's enough.

When I saw Electra sitting at the patio door waiting to be let out, I grabbed the camera and waited, and it didn't take long for my persistence to pay off. Electra pressed her wet nose firmly against the window, as if trying to catch the rabbit's scent through the glass, and I had just enough time to snap the photo before she lunged at the door to get out and give chase. With her short half-Basset legs, Electra doesn't stand much of a chance of ever catching herself a rabbit, but boy is it fun to watch her try.

Be sure to head on over to I Heart Faces to check out the other amazing entries in the Pets Photo Challenge.

365 Project - Day 114 - Easter

2011-04-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! We headed to visit Grandma Jayne and Papa Duane in Bertrand, and in spite of the cold and slightly drizzly weather, I managed to get a few shots of the kiddos hunting eggs. Of course, I snapped a ton, but here are a few favorites from the day...

Stevie making sure the yard is landmine free for the kiddos to run.

Hmmm...what do I see here?

Cadence stealing eggs from her cousins Zayne and Jordan.

Miss Cadence counting some eggs.

Love this shot of the girls' pretty dresses!

Zayne and Jordan counting their egg loot, and Cadence just being Cadence! There's something familiar about that face she's making...

Me - Christmas 1981

365 Project - Day 113 - Sometimes You're the Windshield...

2011-04-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

I've always been a big believer in intuition, though I had to learn the hard way to actually trust those gut instincts. Seems like every bad thing that ever happened to me in my life was a direct result of ignoring what that little voice inside what telling me.

It took a lot of trial and error and mistake-making to realize that the Universe has a way of letting us know whether we are on the right path, or going astray. The way I see it, life is a lot like school. We're here for a purpose--to learn lessons, to better ourselves, to evolve.

If we're being lazy, not studying or learning what we should, not doing the things we need to do in order to move on, then we must suffer the consequences. Life starts to get tougher, the lessons get harder, the repercussions more severe. Instead of minor bumps in the road, we find ourselves facing seemingly impossible obstacles and roadblocks, and every day life gets a little more difficult to handle.

If you can learn to pay attention though, the Universe has a funny way of nudging you in the right direction. Whether it's that little voice you call your conscience that just won't go away, or that gut feeling that you just can't ignore, your intuition is always there to guide you--you just have to tune in.

For me, learning to trust my intuition allowed me to open my eyes and see my life with much greater clarity, and I was finally able to leave behind a lot of the fear and frustration. Instead of feeling like I was in a constant chaotic whirlwind, I finally began to feel like I was in control, and that my hopes and dreams and goals were attainable. In short, my life began to look something like this...

I had a road to follow, and a goal in sight. Sure, there were obstacles and roadblocks to maneuver, but they were suddenly not as formidable. I could anticipate them, see them coming, and give myself time to prepare to face them.

It was infinitely better than the way I'd been trying to do things before--ignoring all the subtle (and not so subtle) clues that life was throwing my way, like great big neon warning signs. I guess when you're ignoring those instincts and spending too much time simply reacting to all the crap being thrown at you, it's no wonder that your outlook on life is a little dimmer, a little cloudier, a little harder to navigate.

These days I do believe that everyone has a choice. You can be the windshield, or you can be the bug. Sometimes the only difference is whether or not you're paying attention.

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to those little nudges that we either listen to or ignore. Which will you choose?

365 Project - Day 112 - Finding God in the Details

2011-04-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

"Religion is for those who are afraid of going to hell. Spirituality is for those who have already been there." -Lee Stringer, Grand Central Winter

At one point or another, I think just about everyone goes through some sort of spiritual crisis--trying to make sense of the universe that is larger than themselves, and trying to figure out just what they believe. It can happen during a time of loss, a time of extreme frustration and unhappiness, a time of intense joy. It can even happen out of boredom.

For me, it was a long hard road, trying to find my place and trying to make sense of the world around me. Maybe my beliefs don't conform to just one tradition, and maybe I don't go to church regularly or pray as often as I should. For me, I think my beliefs boil down to Lee Stinger's quote. I've been through hell and hit rock bottom, and what I found when I returned was a renewed sense of strength and hope and faith.

It has been my experience that many organized religions do so much worrying about what other religions believe (or don't) and condemning them that they lose sight of what's really important. I believe in a higher power. I believe that we are all connected. And I believe that we are all here for a purpose. If I can walk through this life loving others, helping others, and leaving the world a little better than I found it, then I have done my job and can be proud of the life I've led.

And for those people who need "proof" that there is a God, or a creator, a higher power or whatever you want to call it), all you have to do is open your eyes, take a look around and start paying attention to the details.

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to all the beauty in this world, and to all of those who take the time to stop and see it.

365 Project - Day 111 - Nose to the Grindstone...er...Ground

2011-04-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

My dog is a contradiction. Come spend an afternoon at our house on any given day, and you would swear that Electra is the laziest hound that God ever put on this green earth. One of these days, I'd like to keep track of how many hours she actually spends sleeping. She is often ready to go to bed long before Steven and I, and if we happen to leave the bedroom door open we will find her sprawled on the bed and snoring when we finally retire for the night.

Like clockwork, she begins to stir around 6:00 a.m. (sometimes earlier) and begins her subtle Wake-Up-Guys-I'm-Hungry routine, which consists of yawning loudly, stretching, scratching, jumping off the bed, jumping back on the bed, stretching some more, and nudging Steven and I with her wet nose. If all else fails, she either lies down between us and groans at three-minute intervals, or she just climbs up and stands on top of one of us (usually Steven) until we're annoyed enough to get out of bed.

After breakfast, Electra heads out for her first perimeter check. Most dogs head outside to play or roll in the grass or bask in a patch of sunlight. Not our dog. 99% of Electra's time outdoors is spent tracking whatever scent her hound dog nose can find. Birds, squirrels, cats, rabbits, frogs, bugs--you name it, Electra will track it. With her nose to the ground and her tail fanning the air so fast it almost sounds like a propeller, Electra yips and barks to let the world know she's caught a scent.

I often wonder if Electra's nose is just untapped potential. I wonder if she could be a search and rescue dog, or one of those seizure-sniffing dogs that can alert their epileptic owners before they have a seizure. Maybe she could be a drug-sniffing dog, or a bomb-sniffing dog. Or maybe when Cadence gets older and thinks it's funny to hide somewhere when she's supposed to be taking a nap, Electra could sniff out her clever hiding spot.

Watching Electra feverishly stalking her unseen prey, it begins to make sense why the hours spent indoors are usually spent sleeping. Our backyard here is a pretty busy place. There are always birds flitting down from the trees to pick through the grass. There are a dozen squirrels that chase each other through our yard and the neighboring trees. Best of all, there is a family of rabbits that make an appearance at least twice a day, and boy do those rabbits drive Electra wild. She has completely given up trying to covertly stalk them. These days, it's an all out mad dash out the door the minute she spies one of them in the yard. Morning, noon or night, and no matter whether it's her first or fiftieth time outside for the day, Electra never fails to find a scent.

This afternoon, I followed Electra outside to get some photos of her doing what she does best.

If any of our neighbors happened to glance out their windows, I'm sure they got a big kick out of watching me run around after Electra, trying to get in front of her and then dropping down on my stomach in the grass to get a good shot. Hey, anything for a photo, right?

Once Electra is in tracking mode, there's not a thing in the world that will break her concentration...well, not a thing except food. When I'd finished photographing her tracking, I headed back toward the house, sat on the patio step, focused my camera on a spot in the yard and called out to her...

"Electra! Electra, come!"

Of course, she ignored me. Then, I uttered the only five words in the world that will stop Electra dead in her tracks and make her come running.

"Are you ready to eat?"

That's my dog.

Today's 365 Project Entry is dedicated my hard-working hound, Electra, the best darn dog a girl could ask for.

365 Project - Day 110 - Prom

2011-04-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

Ah, prom. It's the one high school event that is truly loved, hated, feared and anticipated all at once. There's just something about prom that can make even the most down-to-earth, rational person into a frenzied lunatic, and that goes for both adolescents and adults.

For most teens, prom is just about the closest they are ever going to get to being royalty, and the days and weeks of careful preparations rival that of the upcoming royal wedding. There are dresses to buy, tuxedos to rent, transportation to arrange, flowers to choose, hair appointments to schedule. Girls start tanning months in advance to get rid of the pesky tan lines that would look awkward should they choose a strapless dress. They choose earrings and necklaces to compliment their gowns, and make sure their dates choose coordinating vests and neckties.

High school students who are already dating someone have it easy, because they already have a date on standby. For the single folk, prom can seem more like the impending apocalypse. Some take the easy way out and simply choose to go with a group of friends--no fuss, no hurt feelings, just a bunch of kids who want to have a good time without any drama. Others are faced with the choice to either ask someone to be their date, or go it alone. Choosing a prom date is like playing a game of Russian Roulette--you just never know which choice is going to blow up in your face.

I was very fortunate when it came to prom. I ended up going all four years--as a freshman and sophomore because my boyfriend was two years older than me, and with good friends my junior and senior year--and had a good time. I can't say that it lived up to all the hype, but I enjoyed spending time with my friends there.

I'm actually sort of glad that all my old photos and yearbooks are still packed away from our move or I might have had to dig out a photo from one of my proms to add to the blog today. (Did I just hear you groan with disappointment?) I'm sure you would have gotten a few chuckles from it because there's something strange that happens when a tomboy like me tries to actually wear makeup. I guess when you only wear powder and maybe a dab of concealer on a daily basis, any bit of extra color on your face instantly transforms you into a Tammy Faye Baker lookalike. I was also never one for bright, flashy colors, so I wore black dresses all four years (well, junior year my dress had a white strip running across the chest and down the side). That's right, I was a regular Morticia Addams, minus the pasty white skin.

So, since I spent so much time today uploading and sorting photos from Katie's prom extravaganza last weekend and didn't have a chance to actually take a photo for today's blog (or ressurect one of my glamorous old photos), I'll just share one of my favorites of Katie from our day together. I'll say one thing, I certainly don't remember being even half as gorgeous when I went to prom!

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to my dear Miss Katie, a girl who is beautiful both inside and out. I hope you enjoyed every minute of your special day!

365 Project - Day 109 - When Marsupials Attack

2011-04-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

Among Cadence's menagerie of stuffed animals is this little Beanie Baby kangaroo named Pouch.

It's an adorable little creature, complete with a minature joey peeking out of it's pouch. I'm not sure where we got Pouch, but she has become one of the chosen few that Cadence likes to sleep with in her crib. It's VIP only in the crib with Cadence's favorite ginormous stuffed giraffe and favorite baby doll, and Pouch somehow earned a pass.

Today, when Cadence woke from her nap, she spent nearly 20 minutes playing in her crib, perfectly content to look at her baby animal book and talk to her stuffed animals. When I finally went in to get her, she wanted to bring Pouch to play in the living room. It was then that I noticed something slightly disturbing about her new little friend.

I had assumed that the little joey was securely sewn into the kangaroo's pouch, since it was just his little head poking out and there didn't seem to be a whole lot of extra room for his body. But, instead of sewing him in tightly, the toy's manufacturers apparently thought it was enough to attach him with one little string to the kangaroo's belly. Unfortunately, they must not have imagined what it would look like if someone would try to pull the little joey out of the kangaroo's pouch, because it looks like this:

I don't know about you, but I find it a little morbid that the kangaroo apears to be clutching a severed head.

I understand if the pouch isn't big enough to hold the entire body of a little joey. Hell, I even understand if the toy company just decided to cut corners to keep production costs down. But is it really asking too much to make sure you attach the joey's head securely in the pouch where it's supposed to be, so it doesn't appear that the big kangaroo had turned into some sort of marsupial serial killer?

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to the good folks over at the Ty company, who have been scaring children with Pouch and her severed head since 1996.

365 Project - Day 108 - Words with Friends

2011-04-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

My name is Lori, and I am addicted to Scrabble.

I don't know how a word lover like me could possibly miss out on this game growing up, but somehow I did. Oh, to think of all the hours I wasted doing other things! Steven first discovered the Words with Friends Scrabble app when he got his new Droid phone and one of his co-workers in Casa Grande talked him into downloading it. Of course, I was intrigued by a game where you scored points for strategically spelling words from randomly selected tiles, so I asked Steven if he would teach me how to play.

He should have resisted, or at least thought twice about teaching his English major, writer wife how to play a word game like Scrabble. I was an instant addict.

At the time, I was still sporting an old Samsung Omnia, so I wasn't able to download the app for myself. Lucky for me, Steven had an Ipad, so we were able to download the Ipad Scrabble app. It has gotten highly competitive here in the Romano household, and there have been far too many nights where we have stayed up playing Scrabble far later than we should, especially considering our daughter's unpredictable sleeping habits.

After upgrading to my new Droid phone in December, I was finally able to download the app for myself. With both Steven and my Aunt Jen as my current opponents, I'm like a junkie with an neverending supply of Scrabble to feed my addiction. I guess there are far worse things to be addicted to. And if anyone else has the app and wants to be an enabler, my username is TheTenorchick.

Bring it on.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to the fabulous people who brought us Scrabble, and the new Words with Friends app, and to my husband for introducing me to what just might be my favorite game ever. Let's play!

365 Project - Day 107 - Some Serious Yard Work

2011-04-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

Because we moved to Nebraska just before Christmas, we didn't get a chance to rake up all the leaves before the first snow hit. That meant they were waiting for us when spring finally arrived. Once everything dried up and it got a little warmer outside, we headed out to do some yard work. Rather, Steve headed out to do some raking, and I headed out to chase the kiddo around the yard and take pictures. Personally, I loved the arrangement. Here are a few of my favorites:

Ever get the feeling you're being watched?

Here, Daddy, let me help you unfold this bag.

Of course we have to take a break when we see the big blue ball.

Gotta make sure the perimeter is secure so Electra can't escape.

Hey, what goes in here?

Come on Daddy, let me help!

And Daddy tosses some leaves right in Cadence's face.

Thanks, I got it.

I keep thinking my daughter is getting so big, and then I see a picture like this and realize how little she still is!

Hey! I was looking in that!

And nothing else is important once we discover the dirt hole.

Hmmm...what's this?

Off to check in on Daddy.

Hey! Wait for me!

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge - Wind

2011-04-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

My dad once had a convertible...an Indian Fire Red 1969 Gran Torino. So the story goes, Mom convinced him to sell it after they got married. Maybe she was thinking it wouldn't make a very good family car, or maybe she just underestimated the cool factor. Whatever the reason, it wasn't long after the sale was final that Duane was regretting his decision. Ever since, he's been longing for another convertible. For years, it was all he could talk about.

Finally, a few years ago, he found a white 1993 Chrysler LeBaron for sale for the right price and bought it. As soon as the weather would get warm enough, you could find him cruising around town with the top down, usually with my sister's Boxer named Honey riding shotgun.

When Steven and I headed out for a visit one summer, Duane couldn't wait to take his future son-in-law for a ride. He and Steven climbed in the back seat where they could enjoy the breeze, and I couldn't resist taking a photo of the two of them having fun on their joyride.

When I saw the I Heart Faces theme this week was Wind, I knew right away that this photo was going to be my entry. It's not technically perfect, or even much more than a snapshot really, but it's one of my favorite photos of two of my favorite guys.

365 Project - Day 106 - Things That Make You Feel Old...

2011-04-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

...photographing a girl you used to babysit when she was 3-years-old getting ready to attend her junior prom. Yeah, that will make you feel old. And it certainly didn't help when the hairdresser thought I was her Mom. But I have to say...if the hairdresser assumes that I am the mother of a girl as amazing as Katie, then I will certainly take that as a HUGE compliment!

It was a long day, being Katie's personal paparazzi, but I loved every minute of it. Here are a few of my favorite "getting ready" photos.

Adding a little more hairspray to make sure not even one hair will move!

Can't beat having your own personal manicurist on call.

Dad doing what Dads do best on prom day--staying out of the way, handling all the crises, and taking lots of photos.

Not too much, Mom!!! I love you!

Getting the eyes just right.

A beautiful Mom and her beautiful girl.

And that's all folks! You'll just have to wait to see any more, because I am beat and need to get some sleep!

Today's 365 Project is dedicated to three of my absolute most favorite people in the world. You know who you are! Thank you for letting me share the day with you! Love you!!!

365 Project - Day 105 - Naptime Mischief

2011-04-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

When it comes to naptime, it's always hit or miss with my daughter. Some days she goes down easy and sleeps well for a few hours at a stretch. Other days, she fights sleep, doing anything and everything she can think of to keep herself awake, and to keep me from putting her down in her crib. Yesterday was one of the other days.

Naptime started the way it always does. I made a bottle of warm milk, turned on the white noise, and we sat down in the rocking chair with Cadence's favorite blanket. She drank the milk leisurely, her eyes growing heavier with every swallow. When she'd had enough, she pushed the bottle away and snuggled against me, lying still for a few moments and breathing deeply.

Today is going to be a piece of cake, I thought to myself prematurely, but no sooner had the thought crossed my mind when Cadence's eyes opened ever so slightly and she began to giggle.

The giggle lasted a few moments, and then random words began to spill out of her mouth.

"Bah. Bah-bah." = Ball. Baseball.

"Nigh nigh." = Night night.

"Momma." = Momma.

"Nah-dah." = Daddy.

"Dun-duh." = Thunder (the neighbor's dog).

"Eh-eh." = Electra.

"May-bay." = Baby.

On and on and on it went, interrupted only by giggles and squirming. Finally, I stood up, placed her gently in her crib, said night-night, and walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind me.

She continued to chatter for a few moments after I left, cried for a minute, and then all was silent. I wondered if she could have possibly fallen asleep that easily. She was exhausted, so it wasn't completely out of the question. Relishing the sudden freedom, I opened up my laptop to get a little work done before she was up again.

It wasn't ten minutes later when a sudden loud yell, "AAAAHHHH!" erupted from the baby monitor. Just one yell, and then silence. I jumped up and opened the door, not really knowing what I expected to find. This was the sight that greeted me. It took me a minute or so to notice that something was amiss, and when I did, I quick ran to grab my camera.

Obviously Cadence had been having fun playing with the toys and the big stuffed giraffe in her crib when she should have been sleeping. And somehow she had figured out how to take off her shirt in the process.

Luckily it was just her shirt. I'm really not looking forward to the day that she figures out how to remove her pants and her diaper. That's just one mess I'm really not looking forward to cleaning up.

When I finally stopped laughing and asked Cadence where her shirt was, this was her reply.

Dang Steven and his Gene Simmons impersonation! After a bit of searching, I found the shirt tucked carefully beneath Giraffee in the corner of the crib. Now faced with the evidence of her mischief, Cadence's rock star tongue face slowly faded into an expression of stoic innocence. I could almost hear her thinking, What? Oh, this shirt? Why, I have no idea what you're talking about.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to my little mischief maker and her naptime shenanigans. My guess is, there will be many more to come.

365 Project - Day 104 - Things That Make You Go Huh?

2011-04-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love most about my husband is the way he can always make me laugh. Even when he's doing things that get on my nerves (like double-dipping the peanut butter and jelly or wearing and refusing to get rid of socks that have multiple holes in them), he always finds a way to make me smile. If you ask me, it makes for a very healthy relationship to be able to laugh about something with your partner at least once a day.

This week in particular, we've gotten our fair share of chuckles over a couple of mysterious red marks that suddenly appeared on Steven's face. Monday night, we wound down the evening watching the episode of Celebrity Apprentice that we taped. Afterward, as we were picking up Cadence's toys in the living room and getting ready for bed, I noticed a red splotch on Steven's temple.

The photo doesn't really even do it justice, since it was taken two days later after the mark had already begun to fade. Imagine a dark red, round spot looking suspiciously like a hickey. When I asked Steven what happened because it looked like he'd been hit in the head, he claimed to have no idea how the mark got there, and strangely enough, I hadn't noticed it being there when he got home from work just a few hours earlier. It took a few minutes of pondering, but the light bulb finally went on.

"Ooooh, I know what it is," Steven said. "It's from me sucking my face."

Obviously we need a little explanation here.

A few days ago, I'd rinsed out a couple of old travel size shampoo and conditioner bottles and given them to Cadence to play with. She'd been having a ball carrying them around the house, pretending to pour water from her sippy cup into them, pretending to drink out of them, and tucking them away in her toy purse. Apparently, Steven had gotten so engrossed in watching Celebrity Apprentice, that he didn't even realize he had picked up one of the bottles and started suctioning it to his head. He would squeeze the bottle, press it up against his temple, and then let go. Sometimes it would stick and just hang there. Sometimes he would pull it off. He must have been doing this for over an hour and, as a result, given himself a hickey on his temple.

Of course, I had to ask him to recreate the circumstances so I could get a photo for the blog.

Last night, as our evening was winding down once again, I noticed something else peculiar about Steven's face. At first, I thought it was just a shadow, but it appeared that he suddenly had a unibrow. I turned on the light to get a better look, and saw this:

Once again, I asked him what he'd done to his forhead, but he just waved his hand to dismiss me and called me crazy. He thought I was just teasing him after the whole shampoo-bottle-hickey incident, so he wouldn't even go look in the mirror to see what I was talking about. I just shook my head and forgot about it.

Today, when he came home for lunch and walked in the door, I laughed out loud because the mysterious new mark had gotten darker and much more noticeable overnight.

For the life of him, Steven could not figure out where this new mark had come from. As we sat down to have lunch and watch a little of the midday Mets game that was on television, we tried going back over the events of the previous evening, but nothing came to mind. We'd spent a little time in the yard, then sat down for dinner and watched the Mets game, then went to bed. Suddenly, as Steven sat watching his team and fretting over their lackluster performance against the Rockies, it suddenly became clear...

Obviously, my husband needs to pay a little bit more attention to what he's doing when he's engrossed watching television.

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to the one guy who can always make me laugh. I'm already looking forward to our next adventure.

365 Project - Day 103 - Guilty!

2011-04-13T20:25:00.000-07:00

I posted several months ago about my distaste for jelly. If you need to refresh your memory, or didn't get a chance to read the post, click HERE. Ugh...jelly just makes my stomach turn.

Unfortunately, Steven has a bad habit of double-dipping the knife when he's making himself a PB&J sandwich. If he was sticking a peanut butter covered spoon into his jar of jelly, I wouldn't mind at all. Hell, I'm never going to eat the stuff, so why would it matter to me? But, that's not always the case, and there have been several instances where I have gone to make myself a peanut butter sandwich only to find bits of jelly contaminating the peanut butter jar. Of course, Steven adamantly denies double-dipping, calls me crazy and otherwise dismisses my complaints as figments of a paranoid imagination.

Today, we decided to have sandwiches for lunch. The minute I opened the jar and saw this, I grabbed the camera to record the evidence. You be the judge...

And just so there is no mistake, here is the jelly in question...

Like anyone accused of this sort of heinous crime, Steven defended his actions, saying, "Oh jeez! What's the big deal? So there's a little bit of jelly on the rim of the jar. It's not like it's actually in the peanut butter. I never get it in the peanut butter!"

I spent the next five minutes or so giving Steven a whoooooole long, drawn out spiel about how I couldn't believe he even double dipped in the first place, and then didn't expect to actually get caught. Of course, he continued to maintain his innocence and call me crazy while I carefully scooped peanut butter from the jar without touching the sticky glob of jelly on the rim and spread it onto a slice of bread.

Never get jelly in the peanut butter, eh? Then how do you explain this?

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to dear, double-dipping husband. You, know, the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. :-)

365 Project - Day 102 - Backyard Adventures

2011-04-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

As a child, I loved to be outside. It was damn near painful to be cooped up indoors for any extended period of time. During the summers, I begged our babysitters to let me go spend the day at the pool. During the winters, I bundled up and braved the cold to build snow forts and go sledding. It really didn't matter what it was--fishing, horseback riding, rollerblading or even just digging holes in the backyard--as long as I was out in the fresh air and sunshine, I was perfectly happy.

My daughter seems to have inherited my love of the great outdoors, and today her Daddy took her out shopping to buy a new ball and a some toys to play with in the sand when we go to the park. As you can see, the big blue ball they picked out was a big hit...

Then, Cadence got the thrill of her life when she finally got to see the neighbor dog, Thunder, up close. For months, she has been yelling "Dun-duh! Dun-duh!" and pounding on the sliding glass door every time she spies him sunning himself in our neighbor's yard. Today, she could hardly contain herself when he came outside and sidled up to the fence to meet her in person.

Undeterred by the all the excitment, Electra kept doing what Electra does best...tracking anything and everything that visited the yard and left any sort of scent.

Next, Cadence wandered over to give the freshly blooming flowers an inquisitive squeeze before heading off to do some more exploring.

Finally, as the sun began to sink and her belly began to growl, Cadence decided she'd done enough playing and headed for the house. These days, she makes pretty short work of the stairs, and has even figured out how to work her way back down from the top. And the best part about that is, it helps tire our little Energizer Bunny out!

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to the first of many backyard adventures.

365 Project - Day 101 - Flora, Fauna and Merryweather

2011-04-11T22:31:00.001-07:00

These days, the world is getting a bit more colorful. I've always loved the spring for that very reason. Without an abundance of fluffy white snow, the dead brown of winter can get downright depressing, so it's always nice to see those first bursts of bright new color announcing the new season.

When I noticed some new flowers beginning to bloom in the yard, I couldn't help but grab the camera and head outside to get a few shots. I even managed to get a nice shot of a bee buzzing around in the yard. I've never been one to get too close to anything that could potentially leave me with a painful puncture wound, but I guess I found a little extra courage with my camera in my hand.

Today's 365 Project is a celebration of spring. Now get outside and enjoy this beautiful weather!

365 Project - Day 100 - Cadence and Grandma Jayne

2011-04-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the two days of short blogs, but after a last minute road trip, only getting about 4 hours of sleep last night, just arriving home less than an hour ago and finally getting our overtired daughter to sleep, I am ready to crash myself.

In spite of the sleep deprivation, we had a great visit with my folks as always. Cadence always gets such a kick out of her Grandma Jayne, and I was able to get some really cute photos of the two of them together this weekend while we were visiting. Here are a few of my favorites:

Cadence paying very close attention to what Grandma Jayne is saying.

Silly Grandma Jayne cracks a girl up!

Doing some drumming and and singing during snack time.

365 Project - Day 99 - Road Trip

2011-04-09T21:58:00.000-07:00

We loaded up the car today to take a last minute road trip to Bertrand for the weekend. Here are a few photos from today's drive:

Our chauffer stylin' in a pair of Top Gun glasses that he always makes fun of me for wearing.

This is definitely not the 10 and 2 we learned in Driver's Ed.

As you can tell from Stevie's case, the Ipod has seen it's better days.

You gotta give Stevie credit for being anal with his electronics. His 1st generation Ipod video is still going strong.

"Holiday Rooooooooooad!"

Ahhhh, we love spring in Nebraska!

365 Project - Day 98 - Sushi

2011-04-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I was never what you would call an "adventurous eater". Mom says that as a baby and toddler, she worried about the fact that I went through a period where I seemed to survive on nothing but milk. During my adolescence, I also remember a brief period where I ate nothing but chicken-flavored Rice-a-Roni.

It wasn't until my late high school years that I really began trying new foods. I discovered cooking shows on TV, and began experimenting in the kitchen. Then, a trip to New Orleans for a youth gathering exposed me to Cajun/Creole cuisine, and my narrow culinary perspective was changed forever. I realized that life was too short to eat the same boring stuff day after day, and I made it my mission to continue to try new things wherever I went.

When I left home to go to college in New York, a whole new set of delicious doors began to open for me. That's one of the things that I still miss the most about New York. On any given day, Steven and I would hop in the car and drive to Manhattan for dinner, either trying out some new restaurant or visiting one of our favorite haunts. It didn't matter what we were craving--pizza, pasta, seafood, sushi, Chinese, Turkish, Indian, Cajun, BBQ, Mexican, hamburgers, french fries, ice cream, Italian ice, soft pretzels, hot dogs, cheesecake, black-and-white cookies, cannolis, egg bagels, or fresh-baked challah bread--we could always find it and it was always delicious.

One of my favorite discoveries during my college years was sushi. Growing up in Nebraska, raw fish was never something that was on my list of things I wanted to eat. Yet, with my newfound adventurous appetite, I couldn't resist trying sushi at least once, especially not when Concordia began inviting two sushi chefs to the campus to serve assorted rolls during lunch. I started slowly--like everyone does--with an order of California Rolls. California Rolls are harmless, just rice, cucumber, avocado and bits of crabmeat wrapped in seaweed.

It was love at first bite.

Since then, I have sampled dozens of different types of sushi, sashimi and specialty rolls, and just when I think I've found my favorite, I find another.

Tonight, Steven and I ventured out to Kinja Japanese Restaurant here in Lincoln. We figured now that we are getting settled in our new hometown, it was high time we found a new sushi restaurant to frequent. More importantly, we figured it was high time we introduced our daughter to some of our favorite food.

Cadence has been a really great eater since we first started her on solids. Her one and only revolt was against bananas (and who can blame her, since Steven and I are both banana haters ourselves). We figured we would start her at the only logical starting point--a California Roll. We had no idea what her reaction would be to her first taste of sushi, so we'll let the photos speak for themselves...

Today's 365 Project entry is dedicated to our adventurous eater and her first taste of sushi. Bon appetit little girl!