And the other half...

So, that last post updated you on the first 3 months of my blogging hiatus. Here's what we have from the second 3 months (Dec-Feb)...

DECEMBER

We enjoyed a couple randomly warmish days and played outside.

And before we knew it, it was time for Christmas!

Lolo, Lola & the most of the rest of DKG's family joined us for Christmas this year. We missed his brother and his precious family, but we were so thankful everyone else was able to join us!

Izzie loved having everyone here and, especially, being able to take two of her favorite people to one of her favorite places in the world!

JANUARY...

was pretty uneventful but we did get to enjoy another random warm day by having a picnic and playing in the park with some good friends!

FEBRUARY

The Kumquat and I had the great chance to tag along with DKG as he took a little trip to CA for business. We decided to stay the weekend and check out San Francisco, since we've never been. Unfortunately, our first day there was way wet, cold, and even a little snowy. We were happy to hang out indoors at the Exploratorium.

They had a little wind tunnel where the "kids" could assemble different things from toilet paper rolls with tape and see if they could make them fly. Little K ♥ ♥ LOVED ♥ ♥ it. I think DKG did, too. :)

Sunday was a clear & beautiful day, so we were able to swing by and hit one major sight on our way to the airport...

And, since it only took me about 6 weeks to do this post, I'm officially only 6 weeks behind! Way better than 6 months!

Six Months

Six months... It's a long time. Half a year. It's about 20% of my daughter's entire life. It's long enough for the weather to go from just past summer to trying to start spring. And it's also how long it's been since I've written a meaningful post about my sweet girl. Sigh.

So, now I have six months worth of memories to try to document at least a tiny bit. Not at all intimidating, right? So, in the style of one of my new favorite things to do instead of blogging guilty pleasures, Glee, here's what you've missed....

SEPTEMBER

brought the Little Kumquat's first day of school!

Really, her first day of MDO, but whatever.

We also took a trip to Vegas (yes, again)...

to celebrate this guy's birthday...

'cause that's how we roll.

Oh, it was Lolo's birthday, too!

She had so much fun hanging out with her cousins!!

OCTOBER

was all about pumpkin patches, glorious fall days, and pirates!

NOVEMBER

brought birthdays, cousins, and turkeys!

Cutest. Turkeys. Ever.

Matching, matching!

K calls this "Swipper Feet Dancin'"

The babies' first time in a swing!! ♥

And I think that's good for now. Stay tuned for round 2 of this crazy whirlwind catch-up!

Bloggercize

I've recently decided that blogging is a bit like exercising for me.

• It's good for me.
• It makes me feel great.
• I like doing it (really, I do!).
• I have a hard time making it a priority.
• Once I fall off the wagon, it's way hard for me to get back on.
• The longer the amount of time that goes by, the more overwhelming it feels to start over.
• I spend a great deal of time & energy mentally nagging myself to just get on it already and very little time taking any sort of action.

Sometimes it's best to just jump right in when you're trying to get back in the groove. At least that's what I tell myself. BUT, I keep putting off that big jump until there's more time, energy, auspicious alignment of the stars, whatever... You get the idea.

So, maybe what I need is just to put a toe in the water and start with that. Please consider this my brisk walk around the block. :)

Uncles

This morning, the Little One & I were looking at her family photo album. She was cracking me up about her uncles, Kevin and Dave, who are twins.

MKG: Baby, who is this?

K: Uncah Keeben

MKG: And who is that?

K: An Mimi

[K turns the album upside down]

K: Dis?

MKG: Uncle Kevin

K: No, no, Mama.

MKG: Aunt Mandy?

K: No, no, no!

MKG: That's Uncle Kevin, sweetie.

K: No, no! Dave.

[K turns album right-side-up]

K: Uncah Keeben

[Turns album upside-down & points to the same picture]

K: Dave

Losing the War

I hate to think of healthy eating as a war, but that's how it feels lately. I really do try hard to feed my family wholesome, nutritious meals. I spend a lot of time thinking about them, shopping for them, and offering them to a certain little Kumquat. Take today's lunch, for example...

It's a well-balanced meal that's primarily made up of organic ingredients, including the baby carrots, avocado, hummus, and greens. The wrap is whole grain, the "cheese" is Veggie Slices and the turkey is Applegate Farms' hormone & antibiotic & other icky stuff-free. I don't mean to be tooting my (repurposed, fully recyclable) horn... It's just an example that I really do think hard about this stuff! It's cut up into toddler-friendly, finger food-sized bits and there are 2 options for dip. Recently, I've had success with the hummus, avocado, cheese, wrap & carrots. So, it's a mix of "success" foods & "stretch" foods that she either hasn't tried or hasn't liked. And the plate is fun, right? Can you guess what her plate looked like after our hour-long lunch was over?

Yup. Exactly the same. I have to say, this is totally killing my motivation to try to feed her well. I know we eat out far more than we should. It broke my heart that when we were running errands earlier, she saw a McDonald's and said, "Yay, eat!!" We seriously do not go to McDonald's often at ALL. So, I'm kinda feeling like a rotten mama today. :( At least there's a great Girls' Night Out at Holiday Galleria to look forward to!

And the winners are...

Congrats to HEATHER and MANDY for winning the 2 pairs of tickets to Holiday Galleria this weekend! So, get ready to take your mom, your sister, your BFF, Laura, or whomever and get shopping!! I'll Facebook you to make arrangements to get the tix to you.

BTW, I AM going to the GNO on Friday. Let me know if anyone wants to get together there!

Good for Them & Good for You!

Where or where does the time go?? I've been meaning to do this post for almost a month now. Sigh!

Well, one place my time has been going recently is to the Junior League. I usually avoid talking too specifically about where we live, but I'm ignoring that rule today. Because today is all about my community! I feel remarkably fortunate to live the life I have. My husband, daughter & the rest of my family are so fabulous, precious and supportive. We are comfortable. Do we have a gazillion dollars in student loans to think about each month? Yup. Do we have a great & safe neighborhood, plenty to eat, and the opportunity to travel & visit the aforementioned, much-loved family? Yup. I strongly believe that since I have been given these opportunities, it is my responsibility to give to my community in support of those who do not have so much. I also have wanted to get to know my new home better. It is my hope to return to counseling at some point and I think that counselors have an obligation to be familiar with community resources in order to advocate appropriately for their clients. Plus, how will I take advantage of all this place has to offer (and I do believe that anywhere you live has much to offer, as long as you're willing to look and engage in what's available) if I don't know what's here?

So, I took the lead of a couple Chicago friends who were involved in JLI & my neighbor who is a past-president of the local Junior League chapter and I joined the Junior League of Wichita (JLW). Phew! Has this added to my stress level! It's not that there are crazy expectations or anything. It's just tricky to meet obligations when you have an unpredictable toddler and no family in town to dump her on watch her for me. BUT, it also has been a great way to better understand my community and to contribute something to the greater good.

Let me tell you a bit about that...

In its first 85 years, "JLW has contributed over $5.8 million to the Wichita community in the form of community projects and training programs. In addition, over $44 million in-kind services in the form of volunteer hours have been donated to improve the quality of life in the Wichita area." (from the JLW Fast Facts sheet - there's lots more great info on JLW there!). These projects are all related to topics the League has identified as areas of interest and include: aging, children, the environment, violence, women, volunteerism, & promoting the City of Wichita. You can read specific position statements on each of these topics here. Many of these topics are ones that are very close to my heart and I am happy to be involved in an organization that works to address these issues within our community.

One of the major sources of funding for all of the work we do is the annual Holiday Galleria. It's taking place THIS WEEKEND, Oct. 7-10 at Century II in Wichita. It is a shopping extravaganza that features 115 national and regional retailers. Tickets are $8 and go to support the work of JLW.

I have to confess that I've never been before, but it really sounds like a good time. There are some extra special events, too. (I'm hoping to go to the Girls' Night Out on Friday night. Anyone wanna join me??) I hope you'll consider coming, spreading the word, and supporting JLW!

As an extra incentive, I'm doing a little giveaway! I have 2 pairs of tickets that I will give away to 2 winners chosen by random.org. To enter, just do one (or more) of the following...

- Tweet about Holiday Galleria

- Promote it on Facebook

- Promote it on your blog

- Become a fan of Holiday Galleria on Facebook

Then, just leave a comment (on my blog!) that you have done so. Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each. You have until NOON on WED., OCT. 6 to enter. Winners will be announced that night!

Good luck and get shopping!!