8 dinner plates = $7.92
2 serving platters =$5.98
1 cool coffee thing = $3.99
Goodwill hunting with my future sis-in-law = PRICELESS
Showing posts with label Loved it.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Loved it.. Show all posts
Friday, November 9, 2012
Priceless
8 salad plates = $5.52
8 dinner plates = $7.92
2 serving platters =$5.98
1 cool coffee thing = $3.99
Goodwill hunting with my future sis-in-law = PRICELESS
8 dinner plates = $7.92
2 serving platters =$5.98
1 cool coffee thing = $3.99
Goodwill hunting with my future sis-in-law = PRICELESS
Monday, May 21, 2012
Cuteness Lately: Joshua Nelson Lindeen, age 2
Joshua brings so much joy into my life. From using various sign language, skilled acting, and animal sounds to tell me about his day at the zoo, to attempting sentences and saying "Please mama, yes mama, please", to signing "more" over and over again to get me to play chase in the gym at the Y .... He is stinkin' hilarious.
Cuteness lately:
He has these hand-me-down water shoes that he adores; he will not stick his feet in the kiddy pool without them.
Erik took him to the zoo today, and he saw a person dressed up in a lion costume. It FREAKED him out. He later woke up from his 3 1/2 epic nap saying, "Wow wow wow wow!" I happened to be in there checking on him, and he was sleeping, then waking as he said this. I think he was still dreaming, because he stood up and adamantly pointed to a bare spot in his crib, and said, "Y-en" (Lion) I think he really was seeing the lion there! We then proceeded to have a long conversation in which he explained to me with facial expressions, body shakes, hand motions, and multiple "roars" and scared "eh eh eh" noises that he had quite a scare with a lion at the zoo.
He's getting a smattering of freckles across his nose. I'm not sure how I feel about this ... I've never disliked my freckles, so it's not a matter of a mommy passing down her insecurities. I think it's just that they make him look older! It's changing his face--and it's weird! But they're pretty cute too...
He LOVES to help water the flowers. So much so, that he watered them by himself. A lot. And now they're dying. We'll see if they come back from their near-drowning ...
He also loves Toy Story. He often asks for "Buh---eee" which seemed to be a combo of "Buzz" and "Woody" until just recently when he learned to say "Wooooody!"
One of his favorite activities is scrolling through my screensaver photos on my computer. He loves seeing his family!
He dropped his full body weight via his elbow onto my stomach today. Poor mama got hit on both sides--Joshua's weight, and Baby Girl kicking HARD right back at him! Ah, the sibling love is oozing already. :)
He's finally eating a form of chicken other than nuggets--BBQ shredded chicken. Hallelujah!
He is so good at saying "bye"--to everything! Not just people! He'll say bye to the park, bye to the bath water, bye to the movie, by to "outside"--it's like his way of agreeing with us that, yes, it's time to go. Love it!
I could go on .... the kid is just freakin' adorable. In every way. :)
Cuteness lately:
He has these hand-me-down water shoes that he adores; he will not stick his feet in the kiddy pool without them.
Erik took him to the zoo today, and he saw a person dressed up in a lion costume. It FREAKED him out. He later woke up from his 3 1/2 epic nap saying, "Wow wow wow wow!" I happened to be in there checking on him, and he was sleeping, then waking as he said this. I think he was still dreaming, because he stood up and adamantly pointed to a bare spot in his crib, and said, "Y-en" (Lion) I think he really was seeing the lion there! We then proceeded to have a long conversation in which he explained to me with facial expressions, body shakes, hand motions, and multiple "roars" and scared "eh eh eh" noises that he had quite a scare with a lion at the zoo.
He's getting a smattering of freckles across his nose. I'm not sure how I feel about this ... I've never disliked my freckles, so it's not a matter of a mommy passing down her insecurities. I think it's just that they make him look older! It's changing his face--and it's weird! But they're pretty cute too...
He LOVES to help water the flowers. So much so, that he watered them by himself. A lot. And now they're dying. We'll see if they come back from their near-drowning ...
He also loves Toy Story. He often asks for "Buh---eee" which seemed to be a combo of "Buzz" and "Woody" until just recently when he learned to say "Wooooody!"
One of his favorite activities is scrolling through my screensaver photos on my computer. He loves seeing his family!
He dropped his full body weight via his elbow onto my stomach today. Poor mama got hit on both sides--Joshua's weight, and Baby Girl kicking HARD right back at him! Ah, the sibling love is oozing already. :)
He's finally eating a form of chicken other than nuggets--BBQ shredded chicken. Hallelujah!
He is so good at saying "bye"--to everything! Not just people! He'll say bye to the park, bye to the bath water, bye to the movie, by to "outside"--it's like his way of agreeing with us that, yes, it's time to go. Love it!
I could go on .... the kid is just freakin' adorable. In every way. :)
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Joshua Names Family Members
Joshua loves to stand at the fridge and point out family members! Too bad we can't understand most of what he's saying ....
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Number 200
All day, I've felt the need/urge to blog. I've been saving it all up.
Then I logged on and noticed that this blog, this will be my 200th post.
Suddenly I'm nervous.
This was going to just be one of those catch-all, free-flow posts, culminating in some pithy, hopefully meaningful point, possibly about Christmas, most likely about motherhood or things like that.
But now I realize it's my 200th post. Is that like, monumental? I'm not sure ... so I'll just move forward as planned.
Carving ham is fairly gross. My brother concurs. The noises are disgusting. Good thing the ham is tasty.
I've always slightly prided myself on not having fancy china. I mostly have an ecclectic assortment of POM bottles and glasses from Goodwill (why buy new when people give stuff away?!), blandly colored dinner plates, and mismatched silverware. Today was the first time in my life I wished for china. And this first time coincided with my first time serving Christmas dinner all by myself, in my own home. I found myself wanting special plates. It's a strange thing, feeling a "need" for prettier plates, just to serve fairly normal food. Any yet, I wanted my table to look fancier. Why? I don't really know... the meal wasn't that impressive, Joshua still wouldn't eat it, we ate in the normal amount of time, and I still spent forever cleaning up. (in fact there are to pots and a pan waiting for me still.) Would it have made a difference if my plates had matching ivy on them? I guess I'll never know, since I don't foresee buying china anytime soon. Oo--maybe I should check Goodwill ....
I'm reading Donald Miller's A Million Miles in A Thousand Years. Don't ask me what took me so long to read it ... I can't really say. Except for I usually choose crashing on the couch or zoning on Facebook before I choose reading lately. Wonder what that says about my story .... if you haven't read the book, it's great. And as I sat and read the book tonight, the book about living a better story, I paused and took stock.
My son was watching "Elmo's World" on Sesame Street. I was reading right next to him. He turned at one point and said, 'Color!' This was just as the "Elmo's World" intro was on, and the "color" is all over the screen. I just said, "Yep! Elmo's coloring!" and went back to my book. And Josh went back to watching TV.
And then I realized something ... I was reading the part in the book where Miller talks about actually living a better story. Actually doing it--not just reading about it, thinking about it, dreaming about it ... but doing it. And I realized I'd just, in essence, denied my child the chance to actually color, and instead basically told him to watch a puppet color in some world on the big screen.
How sad is that?
So I put down my book on living a better story, and I went about living it. I pulled out Joshua's "woo whoos" (trains) and started making all the appropriate sounds. I flipped open his favorite cell phone, recorded my voice, and enticed him with that. He pulled himself away from the big screen world and joined his mommy in the real one.
And we played.
Then we moved up to his room (and I confess, I brought my book, but only because I knew precisely what would happen.) We entered his room, and he excitedly said, "Rock!" and proceeded to climb onto his glider (which is actually quite hysterical to watch him accomplish) and read his favorite book.
I slid down the wall, in between his new kitchen set and the end of his crib, and read my book. We read books together. And he'd come over and feed me plastic pie, and miscolored, oddly shaped noodles, and he'd climb back onto his chair with a new book. We'd read quietly for a while, and then he'd pull at the last page of the book--he always wishes there was more--and looked at me as if I could instantly create more pages. He, at one point, climbed off the glider, and came quite quickly over to me. I thought he wanted to sit on my lap, so I closed my book, losing my page, and pulled him in. He wiggled with so much opinion, I realized that's not what he wanted. I realized he wanted to sit by me and read his book. With his back against the wall, next to the kitchen set at the end of the crib.
I love how impressionable he is right now! He loves rocking and reading. But because Mommy was reading against the wall in the corner, he needed to as well.
We read, and danced, and ate plastic food together. Finally I realized it was bed time. So I talked him into letting me change his diaper, coaxed him into a sleeper, let him "brush" his teeth with his Thomas the Train spin brush (there's no brushing happening--just button pushing and lots of water dripping), and washed his little face.
Then, since I'm no longer allowed to read and rock, I sat on the footstool while he sat on his glider-throne, and I read him a book upside down. Good thing I memorized it long ago from reading it so much. I got to the part about when Jesus was born, and I looked into my 20 month old son's eyes and told him the story of how Jesus invaded our world, and helps us live a better story. He giggled and said, "Je--us Je-us!" (one of his three new words today), and I got tears in my eyes.
Because even though I let my kid watch some TV, and even though I struggle with playing the martyr as the wife and mother in this home, and even though I lose my patience, and battle selfishness, and always think I could be doing better and doing more, I think I'm living a pretty good story. I am the mother of Joshua, and that, my friends, is a role I would never pass up.
So I guess this 200th blog turned into a little bit of a catchall, but mostly a motherhood, hopefully meaningful muse mostly about me and a little about my first Christmas on "my own".
Oh, and the other two words Joshua decided to say today were "Cardo" (his soon to be uncle) and "Eva" (his cousin, my sister's dog).
Does he say "Mommy" yet? Nope. But that just makes this story all the better.
And he did finally let me rock him ... in the dark, I sang him our favorite songs while he clutched his favorite book. We prayed to "Je-us" and I smiled. I love my story.
Then I logged on and noticed that this blog, this will be my 200th post.
Suddenly I'm nervous.
This was going to just be one of those catch-all, free-flow posts, culminating in some pithy, hopefully meaningful point, possibly about Christmas, most likely about motherhood or things like that.
But now I realize it's my 200th post. Is that like, monumental? I'm not sure ... so I'll just move forward as planned.
Carving ham is fairly gross. My brother concurs. The noises are disgusting. Good thing the ham is tasty.
I've always slightly prided myself on not having fancy china. I mostly have an ecclectic assortment of POM bottles and glasses from Goodwill (why buy new when people give stuff away?!), blandly colored dinner plates, and mismatched silverware. Today was the first time in my life I wished for china. And this first time coincided with my first time serving Christmas dinner all by myself, in my own home. I found myself wanting special plates. It's a strange thing, feeling a "need" for prettier plates, just to serve fairly normal food. Any yet, I wanted my table to look fancier. Why? I don't really know... the meal wasn't that impressive, Joshua still wouldn't eat it, we ate in the normal amount of time, and I still spent forever cleaning up. (in fact there are to pots and a pan waiting for me still.) Would it have made a difference if my plates had matching ivy on them? I guess I'll never know, since I don't foresee buying china anytime soon. Oo--maybe I should check Goodwill ....
I'm reading Donald Miller's A Million Miles in A Thousand Years. Don't ask me what took me so long to read it ... I can't really say. Except for I usually choose crashing on the couch or zoning on Facebook before I choose reading lately. Wonder what that says about my story .... if you haven't read the book, it's great. And as I sat and read the book tonight, the book about living a better story, I paused and took stock.
My son was watching "Elmo's World" on Sesame Street. I was reading right next to him. He turned at one point and said, 'Color!' This was just as the "Elmo's World" intro was on, and the "color" is all over the screen. I just said, "Yep! Elmo's coloring!" and went back to my book. And Josh went back to watching TV.
And then I realized something ... I was reading the part in the book where Miller talks about actually living a better story. Actually doing it--not just reading about it, thinking about it, dreaming about it ... but doing it. And I realized I'd just, in essence, denied my child the chance to actually color, and instead basically told him to watch a puppet color in some world on the big screen.
How sad is that?
So I put down my book on living a better story, and I went about living it. I pulled out Joshua's "woo whoos" (trains) and started making all the appropriate sounds. I flipped open his favorite cell phone, recorded my voice, and enticed him with that. He pulled himself away from the big screen world and joined his mommy in the real one.
And we played.
Then we moved up to his room (and I confess, I brought my book, but only because I knew precisely what would happen.) We entered his room, and he excitedly said, "Rock!" and proceeded to climb onto his glider (which is actually quite hysterical to watch him accomplish) and read his favorite book.
I slid down the wall, in between his new kitchen set and the end of his crib, and read my book. We read books together. And he'd come over and feed me plastic pie, and miscolored, oddly shaped noodles, and he'd climb back onto his chair with a new book. We'd read quietly for a while, and then he'd pull at the last page of the book--he always wishes there was more--and looked at me as if I could instantly create more pages. He, at one point, climbed off the glider, and came quite quickly over to me. I thought he wanted to sit on my lap, so I closed my book, losing my page, and pulled him in. He wiggled with so much opinion, I realized that's not what he wanted. I realized he wanted to sit by me and read his book. With his back against the wall, next to the kitchen set at the end of the crib.
I love how impressionable he is right now! He loves rocking and reading. But because Mommy was reading against the wall in the corner, he needed to as well.
We read, and danced, and ate plastic food together. Finally I realized it was bed time. So I talked him into letting me change his diaper, coaxed him into a sleeper, let him "brush" his teeth with his Thomas the Train spin brush (there's no brushing happening--just button pushing and lots of water dripping), and washed his little face.
Then, since I'm no longer allowed to read and rock, I sat on the footstool while he sat on his glider-throne, and I read him a book upside down. Good thing I memorized it long ago from reading it so much. I got to the part about when Jesus was born, and I looked into my 20 month old son's eyes and told him the story of how Jesus invaded our world, and helps us live a better story. He giggled and said, "Je--us Je-us!" (one of his three new words today), and I got tears in my eyes.
Because even though I let my kid watch some TV, and even though I struggle with playing the martyr as the wife and mother in this home, and even though I lose my patience, and battle selfishness, and always think I could be doing better and doing more, I think I'm living a pretty good story. I am the mother of Joshua, and that, my friends, is a role I would never pass up.
So I guess this 200th blog turned into a little bit of a catchall, but mostly a motherhood, hopefully meaningful muse mostly about me and a little about my first Christmas on "my own".
Oh, and the other two words Joshua decided to say today were "Cardo" (his soon to be uncle) and "Eva" (his cousin, my sister's dog).
Does he say "Mommy" yet? Nope. But that just makes this story all the better.
And he did finally let me rock him ... in the dark, I sang him our favorite songs while he clutched his favorite book. We prayed to "Je-us" and I smiled. I love my story.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
this is my life
I was thinking about my life today, and I've decided it's decidedly unique.
I get to spend a whole lot of time with my child, and a whole lot of time with my husband.
Other than some work hours (that I stick to pretty well), I'm free as a bird for much of my week.
One day I can be meal planning and grocery shopping with Joshua, and the next day I'm "jet setting" across the country, landing in a hotel in downtown Des Moines.
I can be sick on the couch on Monday, and running a high energy training session for rural hospital employees on Friday.
I can be master primer/painter/furniture rearranger one moment, and pastor's wife, ministering via text the next moment.
I spend 20% of my time in casual jeans and a comfortable top, 75% of my time in workout clothes and/or pajamas, and 5% of my time in one of two Limited suits.
I can be marketing guru one minute, sales person extraordinaire the next minute, corporate trainer the next, toddler educator the next, and laundry specialist amidst it all.
I'm always a wife, always a mommy, always a Christian, always a daughter, and every once in a while, a professional speaker.
I spend random amounts of time with strangers--in cabs, on airplanes, at hotel restaurants waiting for my food, in shuttles, trains, trams, vans and buses.
I drop my son off at daycare, and 4 hours later, I'm in another state, on my own for 48 hours while the hubby, who is amazing by the way, holds down the fort at home.
I have seasons of crazy busy-ness, and seasons where it appears I don't work much at all.
The balancing act of a working mom is a strange one--especially a working mom with such disparity in her schedule.
From PJs to Limited suits, from emailing from my kitchen to working from the Hyatt. From multi-tasking mommy to corporate trainer lady, from choo choo train conductor to curriculum designer ...
this is my life.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
I'm a MOP ... What?
I just spent a little under an hour coloring. Don't get me wrong--I LOVE coloring. I just don't spend a lot of time doing it anymore. What got me coloring you ask? MOPS.
I have a funny history with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). My Mom was a Mentor Mom (a woman with children out of the preschool age who attends MOPS to offer wisdom) for a while, and I respected her involvement in it, but declared it would never be for me. I don't do crafts. I don't love to cut coupons. I didn't think I'd need to talk (so much) about my child ... My friend Becky practically forced me to join MOPS as a way to meet people and get out of the house in my new town.
It was a good decision.
Tonight, I colored. (Making matching games for Joshua!) And because of MOPS, Joshua and I played with wagon wheel pasta today. And I just sat back, laughed at my son, made funny noises, and enjoyed the "process". I enjoyed the process of play, the process of bonding, the process of teaching, the process of ... cleaning ... :)
 |
| Look at him developing fine motor skills! |
 |
| Yay for pre-math skills! :) |
 |
| What a helper ... Loving the process! |
Thanks MOPS for equipping this MOP with fun activities--something OTHER than "keep the technology away from the baby..." :)
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Trick Explosion!
So, Joshua has had a "trick explosion!" In the last week, he has figured out the following:
Joshua, what does a bear say? "Rawr!" (It's much more adorable that I can do it justice on the web. I'll try to capture video ...)
How big is Joshua? Lifts his hands semi above his head and kinda wiggles his fingers.
He is FINALLY at least attempting to clap--instead of clapping, he holds his hands in front of himself, palms down and lifts his hands up and down over and over so that they hit each other on the way up and down. Clapping--Josh style.
Although he has spent absolutely zero time around his Uncle Jordan (which is actually a very sad thing to realize) he has discovered there is a whole on his face. Two of them in fact. And when he is confused or overwhelmed, he sticks his little finger into his nostril. What the ... ?!
He has finally mastered the mouth trick where he takes a finger, wiggles it and hits his lips/mouth and makes a noise. In fact, he just tonight figured out how to make the "bla-er bla-er bla-er" noise without his fingers. So he just sits in his car seat using his tongue to make the sound. Hilarious! (Just yesterday, he was still putting one hand up to his mouth, and then attempting to hit his lips like Mommy to make the cool noise, but with his other hand. So instead of making the cool noise, he just ended up slobbering all over one hand, while aimlessly waving his fingers in front of his chin with the other hand. Again, HILARIOUS!)
He is slowly but surely learning the sign for "All done"--though it's still always followed by a mischievous grin and food throwing.
He also lifts his arms now in the classic "All gone?" or "Where'd it go?" motion.
He points up the stairs, and then to his crib when he wants to take a nap. (I LOVE this one!!)
He says "Brrrrrrrrr" for ball, balloon and bird.
And now something like "Ni-Na" seems to be a word for lights. Not sure why ....
QUITE the explosion of tricks!!
Joshua, what does a bear say? "Rawr!" (It's much more adorable that I can do it justice on the web. I'll try to capture video ...)
How big is Joshua? Lifts his hands semi above his head and kinda wiggles his fingers.
He is FINALLY at least attempting to clap--instead of clapping, he holds his hands in front of himself, palms down and lifts his hands up and down over and over so that they hit each other on the way up and down. Clapping--Josh style.
Although he has spent absolutely zero time around his Uncle Jordan (which is actually a very sad thing to realize) he has discovered there is a whole on his face. Two of them in fact. And when he is confused or overwhelmed, he sticks his little finger into his nostril. What the ... ?!
He has finally mastered the mouth trick where he takes a finger, wiggles it and hits his lips/mouth and makes a noise. In fact, he just tonight figured out how to make the "bla-er bla-er bla-er" noise without his fingers. So he just sits in his car seat using his tongue to make the sound. Hilarious! (Just yesterday, he was still putting one hand up to his mouth, and then attempting to hit his lips like Mommy to make the cool noise, but with his other hand. So instead of making the cool noise, he just ended up slobbering all over one hand, while aimlessly waving his fingers in front of his chin with the other hand. Again, HILARIOUS!)
He is slowly but surely learning the sign for "All done"--though it's still always followed by a mischievous grin and food throwing.
He also lifts his arms now in the classic "All gone?" or "Where'd it go?" motion.
He points up the stairs, and then to his crib when he wants to take a nap. (I LOVE this one!!)
He says "Brrrrrrrrr" for ball, balloon and bird.
And now something like "Ni-Na" seems to be a word for lights. Not sure why ....
QUITE the explosion of tricks!!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Step by Step by Step!!!
Ahhh, what a day to be off Facebook. I want to share this with the WORLD!!!! Joshua has been taking more and more steps each day, and trying more and more ... here he is taking the most steps yet! and I CAUGHT IT ON FILM!!!!!!! Only a few days into his 11th month--way to go Joshua!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Joshua at Bedtime
 |
| Love Love LOVE those thighs! |
 |
| Hi Mom! |
 |
| Wow. Cool robe. |
 |
| REACH!! |
 |
| Hot outfit Dude. |
 |
| Joshua loves to pull ALL the books off the shelf! |
 |
| More and more, he's starting to look at books by himself. So cute! |
Sunday, February 6, 2011
TED talk: Glad I watched
Three weeks ago, my pastor sent me a link to a TED talk, saying that I might be interested.
Today I finally took the time to watch it.
He had said he was hooked by 8 minutes in.
At two minutes in, I was intrigued enough to keep watching.
At five minutes in, with a chart depicting love over time for offspring, I was hooked.
At nine minutes in, when Alisa shared about her miscarriage, I was bonded.
I digress.
I started watching this TED talk this morning, purely because I don't like to say I'll do something and then not do it.
Today, I'm quite grateful for that trait in me that doesn't allow me to ignore another's suggestion.
So thanks, Steve, for sending it. It was refreshing to watch, fun to listen to, and thought provoking to blog about.
Let's talk parenting taboos: Rufus Griscom + Alisa Volkman | Video on TED.com
Today I finally took the time to watch it.
He had said he was hooked by 8 minutes in.
At two minutes in, I was intrigued enough to keep watching.
At five minutes in, with a chart depicting love over time for offspring, I was hooked.
At nine minutes in, when Alisa shared about her miscarriage, I was bonded.
She speaks for the feeling a failure a woman feels, the fear for conceiving again, and the discovery of the "secret society of women" who had been there. She was speaking my language when she spoke of miscarriage as an "invisible loss" with no community support. If you walked with me through the journey of infertility, you know I've railed against this. I remember being so angry that the death of my child, albiet unborn and only a few weeks past conception, didn't warrant a day off from work. I was to use a "sick" day to grieve the life of my child. I'm sorry--is miscarriage a sickness? And inferitility itself--I wasn't "sick", so there was no need for delivered meals, or offers of help. I was still able, and available, and successful ... but was dying inside, month after month after month. I remember telling a friend how lonely the journey of infertility is. I remember it, and I pray to God never to have to walk that road again. But if I do, I resolve to continue to speak out, speak up and stop the silence surrounding the pain of waiting for a child.
I digress.
I started watching this TED talk this morning, purely because I don't like to say I'll do something and then not do it.
Today, I'm quite grateful for that trait in me that doesn't allow me to ignore another's suggestion.
So thanks, Steve, for sending it. It was refreshing to watch, fun to listen to, and thought provoking to blog about.
Let's talk parenting taboos: Rufus Griscom + Alisa Volkman | Video on TED.com
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Honking Mom, Giggling Boy
I just spent a full 7 minutes giggling with my son. All out laughing. If I used the acronym "LOL", I would use it here. But to be honest, I dislike that acronym. I've used it once--literally once--in my whole life. For some reason, I just don't like it. But I digress...
As I said, I just spent a good long while laughing with Josh. He was splayed out across my lap, and we were chilling in the rocking chair in his room. Yesterday, he discovered that Mommy has white, shiny things in her mouth that click when she moves her lips. For some reason, these things (aka my teeth) are extremely amusing. Josh loves prying my lips apart with his index finger for a look at my pearly whites. And if I give him a toothy grin and click my jaws together, I am delighted with his hysterical laughter. Then, tonight, while we were doing this, Josh noticed that I had something else in my mouth--green, chewy and minty. GUM. Oh boy .... I blew a few bubbles for him, but it didn't bring laughter. He turned on his serious face and studied and studied and studied. He was entranced with my gum. Randomly, I "honked". I quite quietly, and in a normal voice, said, "Honk, honk!" Gone was the serious face, and instead, joyous giggles. I would say "Honk Honk Honk" in my normal voice, and he would erupt in giggles. This went on for probably 5 minutes, which for a kid who gets hiccups after two giggles, is a super long time!
What a thrill--an honor really--for me to sit with my child, and laugh myself silly. I ended up with sore cheeks and a side ache.
It was glorious!
And then, to top it off, he hiccuped and spew regurgitated milk all over my shoulder.
And I said, "Honk Honk Honk" and he giggled some more. :)
As I said, I just spent a good long while laughing with Josh. He was splayed out across my lap, and we were chilling in the rocking chair in his room. Yesterday, he discovered that Mommy has white, shiny things in her mouth that click when she moves her lips. For some reason, these things (aka my teeth) are extremely amusing. Josh loves prying my lips apart with his index finger for a look at my pearly whites. And if I give him a toothy grin and click my jaws together, I am delighted with his hysterical laughter. Then, tonight, while we were doing this, Josh noticed that I had something else in my mouth--green, chewy and minty. GUM. Oh boy .... I blew a few bubbles for him, but it didn't bring laughter. He turned on his serious face and studied and studied and studied. He was entranced with my gum. Randomly, I "honked". I quite quietly, and in a normal voice, said, "Honk, honk!" Gone was the serious face, and instead, joyous giggles. I would say "Honk Honk Honk" in my normal voice, and he would erupt in giggles. This went on for probably 5 minutes, which for a kid who gets hiccups after two giggles, is a super long time!
What a thrill--an honor really--for me to sit with my child, and laugh myself silly. I ended up with sore cheeks and a side ache.
It was glorious!
And then, to top it off, he hiccuped and spew regurgitated milk all over my shoulder.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Christmas Tree
I set to work decorating our Christmas tree for the season, and I decided I would take a picture of each ornament. Over the years, my Mom has given me most of these, and each one has special memories.
 |
| Given to Erik and me: Our First Home, Christmas of 2005 |
 |
| I actually bought this one: Joshua's first Christmas! |
 |
| Our first Christmas: 2005 |
 |
| This basket of kittens was always one of my favorites to hang. From my Uncle Mark in 1991. |
 |
| This pudgy kitty was given to me in 1987 by my Aunt Tricia. I was 4 1/2. |
 |
| Aunt Tricia also gave me this Popcorn Mouse in 1986. |
 |
| This trio of fashion forward mice came to me one by one in '00, '01, and '02 from my Mom. |
 |
| I love Raggedy Ann and Andy! Given by my Mom in '04. She marked the box "The last one :(" thinking she'd be done giving me ornaments because I'd be married. She hasn't stopped. :) |
 |
| This adorable pair came into my life in 2006 from--yep you guessed it--my Mom. |
 |
| 1994: From my Mom. |
 |
| Also 1991, from my Mom. Notice the mouse theme? :) |
 |
| 2007--my ornaments are becoming more grown up! |
 |
| This guy creeps me out. He's to Erik from my Mom. 2007 |
 |
| He's such a happy little musician! 1996 from the Mother. |
 |
| Random. She's not a mouse. 1995 from my Mom. |
 |
| 1995 as well--the year of the cartoons I guess! Our cats, no matter where on the tree we put him, always find Tweety!! |
 |
| 1998 |
 |
| i LOVE this set! Mom gave the whole thing to me in 2003. |
 |
| So adorable! |
 |
| The cats always find this guy as well. Not sure why they love him but they do! |
 |
| I LOVE LOVE the snowman! |
 | ||||||
| Last but not least, my Mexican mouse from 1992. |
Yay for Christmas, traditions and wonderful memories! Thanks for all the ornaments throughout the years Mom--love 'em!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Vacation with a Four Month Old
If you know us, you know we can be a little crazy.
So you won't be surprised when I tell you that we just took a vacation with Joshua to Breckenridge, CO.
Yes, yes--we are crazy.
But to be completely honest, when I stop being overly dramatic and negative and look intstead at the positive, we had a wonderful time.
Did I get a break from nursing? No.
Did I vacation from nap schedules? No.
Did I receive rest instead of sleepless nights? No. Not even close.
But did I lounge in my pajamas? Yes.
Did I giggle in bed with Josh instead of getting up to work? Yes.
Did I take lots of walks in near perfect weather? Yes.
Did I soak up sunshine with my smiley baby boy? Yes.
Did I indulge in good food and lots of popcorn? Yes.
Did Erik and I watch an entire season of Everwood? Yes.
Did I start and finish two novels? Yes.
Did I kick back with good friends and a glass of wine? Yes.
Did I sing Patti Cake and Head & Shoulders multiple times just to make Josh smile? Yes.
Did I stay off Facebook and the Internet for the whole week? Yes.
Did I converse with my husband over coffee and Bibles? Yes.
Did I vacation?
YES!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Week 29: Belly Rubbing
I've mentioned before that blog ideas roll around in my head, fragmented, for an unspecified amount of time before I get them down on "paper." Well, this week's blog hit me hard and fast--at Perkins.
Erik and I had made a late night run to Perkins, as we often did when we were dating. After finishing up our pancakes and various other late-night breakfast foods, we went to pay for our meal.
I noticed that the cashier was pregnant--she had a very cute little baby belly! And before I really understand what is happening, I find myself gently rubbing my very own cute little baby belly that is clothed in a bulky sweatshirt.
Slowly, I became aware of what I was doing and started to ponder why I feel the need--an unavoidable urge really--to make my baby belly more noticeable when I'm around other baby bellies. Is it a competitive urge? Is it a maternal call to arms? Is it a deep need to ensure that this other blessed woman knows that I too am blessed? Is it some form of bonding?
What is this? Is it some pregnant woman secret language? A silent agreement to acknowledge each others' belly blessings without words? A non-spoken contract of congratulations made without even any eye contact? Seriously--has anyone else noticed this? Or is it just me?
As we walked to the car, I was chuckling. I told Erik, "I just got my blog for the week." He asked how, and I explained the whole 2 minute experience, to which he said, "Oh--she was pregnant? I didn't notice."
Ah, to be oblivious like a man.
Erik and I had made a late night run to Perkins, as we often did when we were dating. After finishing up our pancakes and various other late-night breakfast foods, we went to pay for our meal.
I noticed that the cashier was pregnant--she had a very cute little baby belly! And before I really understand what is happening, I find myself gently rubbing my very own cute little baby belly that is clothed in a bulky sweatshirt.
Slowly, I became aware of what I was doing and started to ponder why I feel the need--an unavoidable urge really--to make my baby belly more noticeable when I'm around other baby bellies. Is it a competitive urge? Is it a maternal call to arms? Is it a deep need to ensure that this other blessed woman knows that I too am blessed? Is it some form of bonding?
As I am thinking through this, to my private shock and amusement, the cashier raises her right hand ... and begins to rub her baby belly as well!
What is this? Is it some pregnant woman secret language? A silent agreement to acknowledge each others' belly blessings without words? A non-spoken contract of congratulations made without even any eye contact? Seriously--has anyone else noticed this? Or is it just me?
As we walked to the car, I was chuckling. I told Erik, "I just got my blog for the week." He asked how, and I explained the whole 2 minute experience, to which he said, "Oh--she was pregnant? I didn't notice."
Ah, to be oblivious like a man.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
He's the Man
So, I have this husband. Can I please tell you about him?
I love my husband so much, it hurts. I think of him and I get that full feeling in my rib cage (does the heart actually swell with emotion?), I involuntarily smile, my eyes get all teary and I suddenly need to breath deeply just so I don't cry.
Oh man, I just realized I'm going to cry while writing this blog. Figures--I'm pregnant! And I'm me! :)
My husband Erik is truly an incredible man. I absolutely am amazed at what God is able to accomplish through him. The work he does at our church, the vision he casts in all areas of life, the progress he has made with a bunch of crazy high school students astounds me all the time.
If you don't know him, or haven't had a chance to get to know him more than as "the guy who leads worship at my church" or "the guy who provides an insane place for my teen on Wednesdays", you won't know much of this. So let me share!
Thank you for reading my tribute to my husband Erik. I love him so much and am so immensely blessed that God have given him to me for however long I may have him; I intend to live it up. Thank you Jesus for blessing me with such a wonderful man to love and do life with!
I love my husband so much, it hurts. I think of him and I get that full feeling in my rib cage (does the heart actually swell with emotion?), I involuntarily smile, my eyes get all teary and I suddenly need to breath deeply just so I don't cry.
Oh man, I just realized I'm going to cry while writing this blog. Figures--I'm pregnant! And I'm me! :)
My husband Erik is truly an incredible man. I absolutely am amazed at what God is able to accomplish through him. The work he does at our church, the vision he casts in all areas of life, the progress he has made with a bunch of crazy high school students astounds me all the time.
If you don't know him, or haven't had a chance to get to know him more than as "the guy who leads worship at my church" or "the guy who provides an insane place for my teen on Wednesdays", you won't know much of this. So let me share!
- My husband does the cat box every other day without complaining. Oh how I love him!
- My husband will do pretty much anything for me at anytime. (That's why I throw a small hissy fit when he actually says "no" to something--I'm just not used to it!)
- My husband takes the utmost care in planning for and executing a Sunday morning worship service. The amount of thought that goes into what songs and why and in what order and with what video .... it makes my head spin.
- My husband will clean the bathroom if I put out a desperate plea for help. (I've learned it's still just better to do it myself, but it's so nice that he offers!)
- My husband rarely cries--but this fall I got to watch him shed tears of joy over three great teen guys who came to know the Lord. If you want a glimpse into Erik Lindeen's heart, ask him about these guys!
- My husband is so excited to be a father--and I can't wait to see him experience it!
- My husband is so good at letting me vent/freak/shriek and sob about life--and he is so good about steering me toward the right "next steps". If there are no "next steps" and I just need to vent/freak/shriek and sob, he lets me do so, gives me a hug, and takes me to get Applebees boneless wings.
- My husband writes incredible songs. I won't know what's going on inside of him for months and then suddenly he'll produce this incredible song that outlines exactly what emotions have been rolling around inside his heart. I wait patiently for these moments where I get to glimpse so much deeper than normal into his soul.
- My husband, believe it or not, is quite funny. Sometimes I forget this because he can be so serious when talking about church, but when he decides to get silly, I LOVE IT! My favorite is when he randomly grabs me in the kitchen and pretends to dance. He's so not a dancer!
- My husband always wants to try new things--I love this about him.
- My husband has such a gift for reaching out to people and connecting them in the right places. You may not always know it's him doing it, but he's often pulling the strings and making sure a person feels connected.
- My husband really is a softie--beneath his sometimes loud opinions and fast-paced "Get it done" work style, he really really does care. I promise!
- My husband is my favorite. End of story.
Thank you for reading my tribute to my husband Erik. I love him so much and am so immensely blessed that God have given him to me for however long I may have him; I intend to live it up. Thank you Jesus for blessing me with such a wonderful man to love and do life with!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
A View of the Mountains and Blue Like Jazz
I'm almost done reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. For the first time. Yes, I am behind the times, or whatever. People all around me have read this book multiple times, years ago, and I'm just getting to it.
Loving it.
And I'm not reading it because it's trendy to do so. In fact, that's probably part of why I didn't read it for so long. I hate it when people read stuff and talk about stuff just because we feel like we need to to be "cool".
But, on that note, I will probably read Blue Like Jazz again.
The first Miller book I read, Searching for God Knows What, was really good, but it took me longer to get through it. The second book of his that I read, Through Painted Deserts...well, let's just say I'm not sure where it is. That one didn't grab me as much. But Blue Like Jazz ... I flew to Kansas City and back and am almost through the book. That says a lot about this book. Novels I fly through. Christian murder mystery novels I read again and again, as long as enough time has passed for me to forget the exact plot. But whatever this genre is, I normally plod through and usually never finish.
So what's my point? As I flew in from Kansas around 9:30 this morning, I caught an amazing glimpse of the freshly snow-dusted Rocky mountains. They really are "purple mountain majesties" and I love that. I thought to myself, Wow--what could be better than Blue Like Jazz, a view of the mountains, and a United flight that actually arrives on time?
Nothing, my friend, nothing.
Loving it.
And I'm not reading it because it's trendy to do so. In fact, that's probably part of why I didn't read it for so long. I hate it when people read stuff and talk about stuff just because we feel like we need to to be "cool".
But, on that note, I will probably read Blue Like Jazz again.
The first Miller book I read, Searching for God Knows What, was really good, but it took me longer to get through it. The second book of his that I read, Through Painted Deserts...well, let's just say I'm not sure where it is. That one didn't grab me as much. But Blue Like Jazz ... I flew to Kansas City and back and am almost through the book. That says a lot about this book. Novels I fly through. Christian murder mystery novels I read again and again, as long as enough time has passed for me to forget the exact plot. But whatever this genre is, I normally plod through and usually never finish.
So what's my point? As I flew in from Kansas around 9:30 this morning, I caught an amazing glimpse of the freshly snow-dusted Rocky mountains. They really are "purple mountain majesties" and I love that. I thought to myself, Wow--what could be better than Blue Like Jazz, a view of the mountains, and a United flight that actually arrives on time?
Nothing, my friend, nothing.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
So I've Been a Little Quiet Lately ...
Been wondering why?
We're PREGNANT!!!!
On August 29th, I took the test, and we discovered the seemingly impossible had finally occurred--God had answered our prayers and blessed us with a baby. I am 10 weeks, 2 days today!
Of course, I hyperventilated. :)
Being that blogging helps keep me sane, I've been a little INsane not being able to blog. So I kept up on my writing, and recorded my thoughts for each week. I'll post my 6 week musings for you here today.
September 12, 2009
6 weeks. I am 6 weeks (and one day) pregnant. I don’t think it has quite sunk in yet. God answered our prayers. Our prayers that were prayed for a very very long time by a quite large amount of people. He answered. Did I doubt that He would? No. Never. But I did, of course, wonder if perhaps His answer would forever be “wait”, and someday actually be “no”. So to have His answer be “yes” … well, that’s just still shocking for me.
We first found out when I was 4 weeks and one day pregnant. 4 weeks and one day.
When I saw that positive pregnancy test on August 29th, I literally flipped. I walked to the kitchen, whispered Erik’s name and showed it to him. I remember saying I don’t trust it. I don’t believe it. I can’t believe it. It’s gotta be the drugs. And then, I pretty much hyperventilated. I can’t do this, I can’t do this … that’s all I could say, that’s all I could think. I can’t do this—I can’t deal with a false positive, I can’t wait until Monday to have my blood tested, and if it’s really positive, and I really am pregnant …. I can’t do this. I can’t go through the waiting…again. I can’t reach 8 weeks …. again. I can’t get hopeful….again. I can’t dream of a baby….again.
Isn’t that funny? It had been two full years, almost to the week, since I had last conceived. I had hoped, and wished, and prayed, and demanded, and screamed for pregnancy. Now I (most likely) had it, and I didn’t think I could do it. The fear was just too much. The unknown was just too much. At least with the unknowns of infertility, a little life wasn’t at stake. My child wasn’t at stake. But with pregnancy… the fear of never being pregnant, of never being blessed with a child of my own…that’s very different than the fear of losing another pregnancy. Or losing an actual child. Or having something be wrong with that child.
But, now that it’s here—the pregnancy—I’m daily coming to grips with all the new fears to consider. They don’t surprise me by any means—remember, I have been pregnant before, which actually makes my early pregnancy fears all the more compelling as opposed to someone who still has the innocent happy excitement of finding out—but they are something to reckon with.
For the past two weeks (have we only known two weeks?! It seems like so much longer … ) I kept urging myself to write. To jot down what I was thinking and feeling. I’ve been in such a fog. The first few days, I was paralyzed by fear. I laid on the couch and watched Friends (thank God for Friends!) I was so tired, had such horrible heartburn, that I didn’t want to do anything. I blamed my laziness on the fatigue, but when it comes right down to it, I’m terrified. I was paralyzed by fear. I remember at one point, on Labor Day, I think, saying to my mom that I really needed to just get on with my life. I needed to get back to living.
Time stood still for about a week. I was literally paralyzed. I wasn’t sure how to move forward. Every minute was spent mentally battling between excitement and dread. The hope of “this is really going to happen” and the certain depression of “I’ve lost two…why would this one stick?”
Two days ago, my sister in law asked me how I was doing. I told her that that day had been a good day—I’d gotten up, worked out a little, had lunch with a friend and cleaned a bathroom before the fear caught up to me and landed me on the couch in front of Friends. So, it gets better.
To hope and to pray, but to still live my life. I’m pregnant. Sometimes I just say it out loud and giggle. Sometimes I say it to Erik and we smile tentatively together.
Sometimes, sometimes, I think May 4th is going to be a really good day.
More to come!!! Thank you for all your prayers and support!!!!
We're PREGNANT!!!!
On August 29th, I took the test, and we discovered the seemingly impossible had finally occurred--God had answered our prayers and blessed us with a baby. I am 10 weeks, 2 days today!
Of course, I hyperventilated. :)
Being that blogging helps keep me sane, I've been a little INsane not being able to blog. So I kept up on my writing, and recorded my thoughts for each week. I'll post my 6 week musings for you here today.
September 12, 2009
6 weeks. I am 6 weeks (and one day) pregnant. I don’t think it has quite sunk in yet. God answered our prayers. Our prayers that were prayed for a very very long time by a quite large amount of people. He answered. Did I doubt that He would? No. Never. But I did, of course, wonder if perhaps His answer would forever be “wait”, and someday actually be “no”. So to have His answer be “yes” … well, that’s just still shocking for me.
We first found out when I was 4 weeks and one day pregnant. 4 weeks and one day.
That’s hardly pregnant at all! I flipped.
When I saw that positive pregnancy test on August 29th, I literally flipped. I walked to the kitchen, whispered Erik’s name and showed it to him. I remember saying I don’t trust it. I don’t believe it. I can’t believe it. It’s gotta be the drugs. And then, I pretty much hyperventilated. I can’t do this, I can’t do this … that’s all I could say, that’s all I could think. I can’t do this—I can’t deal with a false positive, I can’t wait until Monday to have my blood tested, and if it’s really positive, and I really am pregnant …. I can’t do this. I can’t go through the waiting…again. I can’t reach 8 weeks …. again. I can’t get hopeful….again. I can’t dream of a baby….again.
As crappy as infertility is, and was,
I just didn’t think I could do pregnancy.
Isn’t that funny? It had been two full years, almost to the week, since I had last conceived. I had hoped, and wished, and prayed, and demanded, and screamed for pregnancy. Now I (most likely) had it, and I didn’t think I could do it. The fear was just too much. The unknown was just too much. At least with the unknowns of infertility, a little life wasn’t at stake. My child wasn’t at stake. But with pregnancy… the fear of never being pregnant, of never being blessed with a child of my own…that’s very different than the fear of losing another pregnancy. Or losing an actual child. Or having something be wrong with that child.
I was never naive enough to think that once I conceived, life would be bliss. That pregnancy would feel great, look great on me, and that I would never fear or worry again.
I’m not that stupid, people.
But, now that it’s here—the pregnancy—I’m daily coming to grips with all the new fears to consider. They don’t surprise me by any means—remember, I have been pregnant before, which actually makes my early pregnancy fears all the more compelling as opposed to someone who still has the innocent happy excitement of finding out—but they are something to reckon with.
For the past two weeks (have we only known two weeks?! It seems like so much longer … ) I kept urging myself to write. To jot down what I was thinking and feeling. I’ve been in such a fog. The first few days, I was paralyzed by fear. I laid on the couch and watched Friends (thank God for Friends!) I was so tired, had such horrible heartburn, that I didn’t want to do anything. I blamed my laziness on the fatigue, but when it comes right down to it, I’m terrified. I was paralyzed by fear. I remember at one point, on Labor Day, I think, saying to my mom that I really needed to just get on with my life. I needed to get back to living.
To find out I was pregnant for the first time in two years was almost debilitating.
Time stood still for about a week. I was literally paralyzed. I wasn’t sure how to move forward. Every minute was spent mentally battling between excitement and dread. The hope of “this is really going to happen” and the certain depression of “I’ve lost two…why would this one stick?”
Two days ago, my sister in law asked me how I was doing. I told her that that day had been a good day—I’d gotten up, worked out a little, had lunch with a friend and cleaned a bathroom before the fear caught up to me and landed me on the couch in front of Friends. So, it gets better.
Day by day, I’m learning to move forward.
To be excited! and to HOPE.
To hope and to pray, but to still live my life. I’m pregnant. Sometimes I just say it out loud and giggle. Sometimes I say it to Erik and we smile tentatively together.
Sometimes, sometimes, I think May 4th is going to be a really good day.
More to come!!! Thank you for all your prayers and support!!!!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Why I Love O'Hare
I have learned to love O'Hare. I used to complain about it because truly--a flight into or out of O'Hare has rarely been on time for me. However, lately, mostly due to one Miss. Paige Spicer's enthusiasm and deep deep love for all things O'Hare, I have come to enjoy my time in the beastly airport.
So, here goes:
1. I love getting a Bently salad at Salad Works. Lettuce, turkey, ham, provolone, egg and tomatoe--what else could one ask for? they seriously make awesomely huge salads.
2. Nuts on Clark. A fav. LOVE. IT. I get excited like a week in advance when I think of flying into O'Hare, purchasing my favorite dark chocolate covered almonds, and munching on them all the way to whereever I'm going. Erik has even learned to associate "trip through/to O'Hare" with "yummy chocolate almonds". Today I even bought some dark chocolate covered pecans. Should prove delicious!
3. The cool psycodelic light display that I get to experience (endure?) when I'm forced to walk from concourse B to concourse D, E, or F (or vice versa). I think they think the lights make the long walk okay. I disagree. But, I guess, they are pretty cool. In fact, I LOVE IT!
4. Artwork on the walkway after the lights before the loooooooong part of the way to concourse F. There's lots of windows, so it's bright, you can see the outdoors, which is nice after being stuck inside all day, and there's cool art things hanging from the ceiling. As well as incredibly creative awesome benches for your sitting pleasure. I like this one best.
5. Hot dogs. I haven't been to Chicago proper in years, but I get a Chicago hot dog at least once every 6 months! How awesome is that?
6. I don't have a picture for this one, but alas, here I go. I seriously love the diversity at O'Hare. I'm not usually one for crowds, but being here, with all the worlds' countries coming together all at once, is so worth the claustrophobic feeling. I love hearing the different languages, watching the employees--of all different ethnicities--come together from all parts of the airport to share lunch together, meeting Australian sweethearts named Ella, and experiencing little tidbits of different cultures by watching or sitting near people different than I. If I can't travel the world, at least the world comes to me at O'Hare.
7. Funny people. There are just funny people here. I.E., Dancing guy with crazy hat. That was a different trip, but I'll never forget him. Today? Elderly woman in a giraffe print flowing dress, with a red flower stuck in the toe of her shoe. How cool is she? Also, just a side note, I've counted 7 ladies so far wearing STILETTOS. Who does that? To travel? For real ladies--be confident enough to don the flip flops, Nikes or Danskos. Or the really awesome velcroe shoes that an elderly gentleman was sporting at he shuffled by me just now. LOVED IT!
8. And last but certainly not least ... the toilets. I just love 'em! A fresh cover every time! One of my biggest pet peeves is rushing into an airport bathroom, just to have to check 6 stalls before finding one that doesn't have left over ishiness all over the seat from the last harried traveler. O'Hare's seats eliminate my problem. LOVE IT.
I love O'Hare. Yeah, the logistics of this place are a nightmare, and on Tuesday, when I land at Concourse F and have exactly 59 minutes to make my flight on Concourse C, I probably won't be singing the airport's praises anymore, but I'd rather have a layover here than anywhere else. Dulles isn't bad, but there are TOO many people. Atlanta's cool, but only if you're lucky enough to be on Concourse D. Minneapolis is a good one too. Denver, well, I've never been "stuck" in DIA cuz it's where I live. But I think it would be okay....Interestingly enough, JFK was a bust. I don't appreciate LAX, and Phoenix, at least the wing we were in, was HORRIBLE! So, I love O'Hare. LOVE IT. At least I do today, since I had a 3 hour layover and not much else to think about.
So, here goes:
1. I love getting a Bently salad at Salad Works. Lettuce, turkey, ham, provolone, egg and tomatoe--what else could one ask for? they seriously make awesomely huge salads.
2. Nuts on Clark. A fav. LOVE. IT. I get excited like a week in advance when I think of flying into O'Hare, purchasing my favorite dark chocolate covered almonds, and munching on them all the way to whereever I'm going. Erik has even learned to associate "trip through/to O'Hare" with "yummy chocolate almonds". Today I even bought some dark chocolate covered pecans. Should prove delicious!
3. The cool psycodelic light display that I get to experience (endure?) when I'm forced to walk from concourse B to concourse D, E, or F (or vice versa). I think they think the lights make the long walk okay. I disagree. But, I guess, they are pretty cool. In fact, I LOVE IT!
4. Artwork on the walkway after the lights before the loooooooong part of the way to concourse F. There's lots of windows, so it's bright, you can see the outdoors, which is nice after being stuck inside all day, and there's cool art things hanging from the ceiling. As well as incredibly creative awesome benches for your sitting pleasure. I like this one best.
5. Hot dogs. I haven't been to Chicago proper in years, but I get a Chicago hot dog at least once every 6 months! How awesome is that?
6. I don't have a picture for this one, but alas, here I go. I seriously love the diversity at O'Hare. I'm not usually one for crowds, but being here, with all the worlds' countries coming together all at once, is so worth the claustrophobic feeling. I love hearing the different languages, watching the employees--of all different ethnicities--come together from all parts of the airport to share lunch together, meeting Australian sweethearts named Ella, and experiencing little tidbits of different cultures by watching or sitting near people different than I. If I can't travel the world, at least the world comes to me at O'Hare.
7. Funny people. There are just funny people here. I.E., Dancing guy with crazy hat. That was a different trip, but I'll never forget him. Today? Elderly woman in a giraffe print flowing dress, with a red flower stuck in the toe of her shoe. How cool is she? Also, just a side note, I've counted 7 ladies so far wearing STILETTOS. Who does that? To travel? For real ladies--be confident enough to don the flip flops, Nikes or Danskos. Or the really awesome velcroe shoes that an elderly gentleman was sporting at he shuffled by me just now. LOVED IT!
8. And last but certainly not least ... the toilets. I just love 'em! A fresh cover every time! One of my biggest pet peeves is rushing into an airport bathroom, just to have to check 6 stalls before finding one that doesn't have left over ishiness all over the seat from the last harried traveler. O'Hare's seats eliminate my problem. LOVE IT.
I love O'Hare. Yeah, the logistics of this place are a nightmare, and on Tuesday, when I land at Concourse F and have exactly 59 minutes to make my flight on Concourse C, I probably won't be singing the airport's praises anymore, but I'd rather have a layover here than anywhere else. Dulles isn't bad, but there are TOO many people. Atlanta's cool, but only if you're lucky enough to be on Concourse D. Minneapolis is a good one too. Denver, well, I've never been "stuck" in DIA cuz it's where I live. But I think it would be okay....Interestingly enough, JFK was a bust. I don't appreciate LAX, and Phoenix, at least the wing we were in, was HORRIBLE! So, I love O'Hare. LOVE IT. At least I do today, since I had a 3 hour layover and not much else to think about.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)