bon's bonbons

Family Reunion

2011-08-05T10:01:00.000-06:00

We've got mad hops!

I am an awesome wife

2011-02-22T18:40:00.000-07:00

So...been awol for a bit. Nothing particularly unusual, so I'm assuming none of you are too concerned. Adam had some big Opera stuff going on and we had the Walton's over, and now it's just life these days.

When Adam gets home from performing an Opera, he is always STARVING. Apparently singing takes a lot of energy. The adrenaline kicks in and when he gets out (around 11pm), he mostly just wants a burger. We are trying to save money and eat healthier, so for his most recent Opera (Gianni Schicchi), I made our own drive-thru in our kitchen. Burgers and brownies in the middle of the night really hit the spot.

Mostly this is just a post to let you know that there is a new video link on Lydia's blog, and that I have some more posts scheduled for her blog every couple days for the next week or so, so keep checking back. Seriously, you can see her walking - it's ridiculously cute and quite reminiscent of a drunken sailor.

Iced In

2011-02-03T21:56:00.001-07:00

We had heard that there was going to be a huge storm, but weren't particularly worried. How bad could it be, right?

Late Monday evening, lying in bed, Adam and I heard the rain start. The next day our whole world was neatly encased in a quarter-inch layer of ice. That didn't melt. These pictures were taken in the early afternoon and the icicles on every branch looked the same as they had when I peeked through the blinds to survey the damage on Tuesday morning. Apparently the Midwest knows how to do winter.

Of course, IU closes for NOTHING(!) so Adam still had school that morning, but apparently hell froze over because the university actually cancelled classes on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. We had a couple nice snow days. Today I finally felt like I could leave home and it felt freeing, to say the least.

Tomorrow is Adam's big Opening Night (Yes, those capital letters are Necessary). He's singing the role of Simone in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. It's his first role at IU and I'm abnormally excited about it - as if this were La Scala or something. I know he'll be great. Even when he just sings around the house I can tell that he has gotten so much better since we moved here (And he was already really good!). So...big night for Adam. I'm going to cook a favorite meal of his for dinner so he starts the evening out with the right foot forward. I'm thinking of even making an "Opening Night Cake" which sounds like a pretty good tradition to start. If you get the chance during the day, give Adam a call and tell him good luck or break a leg or something. He'll pretend to hate it, but secretly he's a big softie.

More Lyds Vids

2011-02-01T15:17:00.001-07:00

Head on over to Lydia's blog for another video.

AWOL

2011-01-31T21:26:00.001-07:00

I know I've been AWOL lately. Sorry. But there's a link to a video of Lydia on her blog. So that's something.

Lydia turned one!

2010-12-08T10:34:00.002-07:00

I clearly should have posted this yesterday, but our little Squirt is a whole year old! See pictures of her birthday at her blog. If you need an invite, let me know in the comments or by emailing bonbonbassoon@gmail.com. Saddest thing in the world is that she got the cold that I've had for a week yesterday and was kinda sick all day.

Why I am not organized neatly

2010-11-29T08:43:00.001-07:00

Have you seen the blog "Things organized neatly"? I can't help but laugh when I go on there. Yes, thing placed just so look nice and are pretty, but the only thing that comes to my mind is how much havoc Lydia would wreak (and how much fun she would have) if she encountered these collections.

She's my little Godzilla, leaving destruction in her wake everywhere she goes. Folding laundry is the most obvious example, but emptying the dishwasher and putting away her toys are also prime targets for her decimation. She sees piles of neatly piles clothes and laughs maniacally as she zips towards them, grabs several shirts, and flings them. So things take awhile to get done around my house. Cleaning up in the evening is the worst. I'll go to the bookcase to replace the volumes that she has spent so much time strewing about the floor. She might not notice while I'm lining those books up, but as soon as I move on to check the next tidying item off my list, she cackles on her way to put those books back where she wants them. Our CD collection gets pulled out of their slots, her toys and books are always all over, and her favorite thing to rummage in is the wastebaskets (what joy). I simply don't have enough arms or energy to keep things tidy. I cannot imagine what it will be like when (or if...) we have another.

See the little Destructomatic at her blog. Have I mentioned that I love her to pieces? It may come across like I would like a tidy house, but I'd rather have her.

I read a book!

2010-11-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

I know, reading a book doesn't sound like an accomplishment, but I haven't had time to read and I haven't had anything I really wanted to read. But then I got a library card. Have I told you guys about the library in Bloomington? Awesome. The children's section has a play area with tons of toys that Lydia loves. The baby area is even fenced off so she doesn't get trampled by exuberant toddlers. SCORE! And their baby book selection is incredible. Lydia has started to like reading books (before it was more of a wrestling match to see if she would stay in your lap long enough to get through three pages) as long as they're interactive.

She likes to touch things, so anything that's got something to feel (Think Pat-the-Bunny, our favorite book) is great, but anything with flaps, like the Spot books, is awesome as well.

Also, she likes to turn pages (We just have to get it started for her) so we only read board books because she would rip normal pages. Anyway, we go to the library every week and get 10 new board books, at least half of which have to be interactive.

And then it occurred to me that there was a whole library there, not just the children's section. So, I placed a hold on "Catching Fire," book 2 of the Hunger Games series, which I had read the beginning of but not been able to finish. I was number 28 in line for the book, so I kind of thought I'd be waiting forever, but it only took a month or so.

Let's just say that I got the book one afternoon and had finished it by the next day. It was engrossing, but I have to admit that I was totally disappointed when I reached the end. I kept waiting for there to be something big to end it with and I feel like it ended before that happened. Maybe I was just so jaded by the people dying in the first book that the arena didn't give me that adrenaline rush I was hoping for.

Which is, I think, why I liked the first one. I'm not going to comment on it's merits as a piece of literature, but The Hunger Games was riveting. I couldn't put it down. And that's fun for me. I like when someone can tell a story in such a way that I care about the characters and want to give them advice about their life choices. Anyway, I've got a hold on Mockingjay (only number 33 in line!) so maybe that one will be more "exciting."

Have you missed the recent Lydia posts? Shame on you.

Two jack-o-lanterns, one hollowed-out pumpkin with a cap, and a baby pumpkin

2010-11-24T07:28:00.001-07:00

Apparently Indiana grows tough pumpkins. Carving these was DIFFICULT. And I didn't even carve a whole pumpkin. Mine was the one that never got carved, only hollowed out, because I couldn't deal with the pain and agony and time-commitment of cutting a face on it. Actually, I wasn't even going to make a face. My pumpkin had a kind of divet around it's middle, like a snowman or something, so it was going to be something cool that I have forgotten at the moment. But my arm was sore the next day, even after just cutting off the lid. Yes, I'm a weakling, but both Mom and Adam agreed that these pumpkins were just plain hard. Adam, as you can see, kept with the theme of this year's Halloween and made a very scary pirate pumpkin (didn't you know that we dressed up as pirates for Halloween? There might be pictures of all 3 of us over at Lydia's blog. Or it could be scheduled for next week. We'll see) that cracked after it stormed overnight.

And Mom made a cyclops. Cool, eh?

Seriously, check out Lydia's blog. And tell me what your favorite picture of her is (not restricted to recent posts), because I need validation, guys. Even if it comes in the form of praising the cuteness of my daughter.

So, Thanksgiving is coming up, right? What are your plans? And this isn't just a ploy to get you to comment. Adam and I aren't used to this Thanksgiving-on-our-own thing, and we need some stellar ideas. STELLAR. Or just plain ideas. Those work too.

The forest on IU campus

2010-11-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

On one of my walks with my Mom while she was here, we found the famed forest in the middle of IU campus (and when I say "famed" I mean Adam kept talking about it and I hadn't seen it yet, so clearly it was the stuff of legend). Yellow leaves covered all the pathways and it really was gorgeous. An honest-to-goodness forest just chilling on campus. Very Cool.

Tune in for pictures of our little punk, Lydia, here.

Blocks - good for the husband too

2010-11-17T07:15:00.001-07:00

I'm so glad I bought these blocks for Lydia. It honestly is just nice to have something to pull out for her to play with that is more interactive. I wasn't expecting it to be entertaining for Adam as well, but he seems to enjoy building towers for Lydia to knock over. You have to be sneaky, though. If she sees you building one, she'll knock over the foundation before you can finish a creation.

Variety is necessary in our lives, I've discovered. I am running out of things to do with Lydia, and since it has gotten pretty cold, going on walks and visiting playgrounds is getting more difficult. I'm open to any and all ideas for entertaining an almost-one-year-old child.

I guess the real thing that's getting to me is the lack of social interaction I have. I feel so unconnected to the outside world (Or anything, really). I don't get much computer time, except in the evenings when I'd like to spend time with Adam. So I do laundry, do dishes, vacuum, etc., and Lydia follows along, undoing what I do. And then I lie on the ground and play with her as she uses me for her personal jungle-gym.

I need a hobby. One that can be done with a tiny person around. Any ideas?

P.S. See pictures of Lydia here. I like what my older brother texted me a couple weeks ago. "Lydia's not such a Lyddle anymore. She's more of a Byggle." Yes. Exactly. The baby is turning into a little girl.

Walking with Mom

2010-11-15T07:12:00.002-07:00

I loved having my Mom come visit a few weeks ago. Living away from anyone we know has made us crave human contact. Or friend contact. I look forward to the next time I'm going to see family for several months.

It was awesome to just walk around our neighborhood with my Mom and talk.

So who else is coming to visit?

I have lost my blogging mojo. Okay, who am I kidding, I never had it. But now I seriously have absolutely nothing to post on this blog. But I'm pretty sure some grandparents still want pictures of Lyds to see. So...I've got a whole slew of Lydia posts on her blog scheduled for about two weeks. There are new ones up now as well. Maybe I'll post from time to time on this blog but it might just die...

I might just be out-of-sorts because Daylight Savings time SERIOUSLY messed up my household and it might be permanent. I have given up counting the hours of sleep I get because it's just depressing. I know that hate is a strong word and at one point in my childhood we were forbidden to ever use it (We must have been a bunch of sourpusses), but I HATE Daylight Savings, and here is why:

Lydia, angel child that she is, used to sleep until 9:00. She would go to bed at 8, wake up to be nursed at midnight, sleep until 6, when I would nurse her and put her back down, and then go BACK to bed to sleep until 9. I can do with that amount of sleep.

Adam and I are night-owls, so we'd go to bed after her midnight feeding and I'd get about 8 hours of sleep, give-or-take. Even if she was teething or something and woke up at 3 to be nursed, it was still manageable. But as soon as that cursed DST hit, Lydia turned my life upside-down.

She still goes to bed at 8, but she wakes up at 11, then 2, then 4, then 6:30, at which time it is LIGHT outside, and then she's just awake. Like Awake awake. Like "Let's play, Mom!" and then proceeds to grab my hair and try to drag it to her mouth. And then I sit on the floor to play with her, but my tiredness convinces me that I could just lie down on our gross carpet and still play with her, but then she crawls on my head, places her hand on my neck and puts her full weight on it, and gives me a bloody nose with her knee as she crawls the full length of my body.

I'm dying here, people. If it weren't light outside at that last feeding, she'd go back to sleep just fine (like she used to). But it is. So she doesn't. And then her naps are all messed up too (think: short. and often. so we can't go anywhere and I can't nap), but I won't get into that. Have we discussed how I'm dying here? Thanks for being on the other end of my rant! Hope your kids like DST too!

We walk. Sometimes.

2010-10-19T10:30:00.001-06:00

It was too dark to take pictures without the flash. So I tried one with and it ended up looking like Popcorn was Popping on the...some kind of tree.

I guess we'll stick around for awhile and see how we like this place...

Any picasa wizards know if it's possible to post more than 4 photos at a time to your blog through picasa? Did that make sense?

There are several Lydia posts up. I have run out of things to put on this blog, also known as I have run out of pictures that are not of Lydia. Any suggestions for future posts? I'm thinking about one wherein I bash on the practice of organizing clothes in drawers. Sounds fascinating, eh?

Duck!

2010-10-16T10:04:00.001-06:00

A friend of mine mentioned that she often takes her little girl to see the ducks in a nearby neighborhood. Now, I don't think Lydia had ever seen a duck before, and the one time she got even close to a dog she freaked out, so I didn't know what to expect, but as I am always looking for things to add to the "entertaining baby" arsenal, I thought we'd give it a shot.

She loved them from a distance and I didn't dare get too close. There were a lot of them, okay?

Pretty sure we were trespassing when we did this.

See Lydia near the ducks, here.

Evening Walks/Fall in Bloomington

2010-10-15T09:52:00.001-06:00

I had heard that Bloomington has beautiful autumns. This year, it is certainly not disappointing. Lydia and I love the cooler weather (and I feel like we have cuter fall clothes for her than summer clothes - plus I get to put her in sweaters that just kill me) and have been spending more time outside now that I feel like we're not going to die of heatstroke.

Adam and I, in an effort to be less sedentary, have gone on a few walks in the evenings. I like the time we get to talk without distractions, and I've also gotten some pictures of the fall scenery.

Hopefully this tradition will continue and Adam and I will be less fat, and have more scenic pictures.

Yes, those are geese. I was unaware that Bloomington would bring me closer to nature, but it's true. The other day Lydia and I almost got attacked by a whole ton of ducks, and Adam (pushing the stroller) and I gave these geese a wide berth. Maybe it's an urban legend, but the word on the street is that angry geese can do some damage.

More Lydia pictures, for those who are interested, can be found here.

Family pictures

2010-10-13T21:22:00.002-06:00

At the Walton family reunion in August, the Waltons hired a photographer to take family pictures. I think the funniest moment of the day was trying to get all three baby girls to smile at the camera at the same time (unsuccessfully, I might add). Lydia ate some dirt, Audrey ate some grass, and we all had a good time. I particularly liked this photo of Adam and I (along with a few of Lydia and our little family). Thanks, jesmyrickphotography.com

There are a few new Lydia posts, for those who are interested. If you need an invite, shoot me an email at bonbonbassoon@gmail.com.

It's been 10 months!

2010-10-07T19:17:00.002-06:00

Lydia is 10 months old today! I cannot even believe how old she's getting. See pictures and an update on her in general here. If you would like an invite (don't be embarrassed - I'm generous with the invites!), or I somehow forgot to send you one before, email me at bonbonbassoon@gmail.com.

I love having a washer and dryer

2010-10-07T09:57:00.000-06:00

And I love Craigslist. $50 bucks a piece, baby. Of course, that meant we had to get them home somehow.

Our little Nissan is surprisingly versatile.

Seriously, who needs a truck?

Both families we bought the washer and dryer from thought we were plumb-crazy. Maybe we are, and maybe I spent the drives home watching those appliances out the back window like a hawk. But hey, we made it.

New Lydia posts are up.

Farmer's Market

2010-10-06T09:41:00.001-06:00

One of the things we were excited about when we moved to Bloomington was the Farmer's Market. On our trek there a couple weeks ago, we were not disappointed.

Sweet corn, heirloom tomatoes, asian eggplant, Jonagold apples, plums, and a whole string of (extremely spicy) Asian chilis - aren't they pretty?

More of Lydia, the little bug, on her blog. As always, if you need an invite, comment on this post (with your email address) or email me at bonbonbassoon@gmail.com.

Our Indiana Place

2010-10-05T09:34:00.001-06:00

We've had some requests for pictures of our apartment. Since the living/dining room is the only one that has pictures on the walls, here's what you get so far.

We really like it - a good amount of space for our little family.

To see Lydster in her natural habitat, click here.

Thanks for the visit, kids!

2010-10-04T09:29:00.000-06:00

You guys are awesome! (And I couldn't find any pictures of Ali without Lydia, so there's a picture of her here)

Natural History Museum and M&M Store and General Conference

2010-10-03T08:53:00.003-06:00

T-rex and kidlums. We were actually kind of disappointed with this museum, but apparently we missed the rug made entirely from spider's silk.

Ooooh, M&M's. Lots of them. And loud music. Christian's face pretty much says it all. This was not a cool place. Who wants to buy an M&M figurine dressed as Santa anyway?

I made them pose like this. They love me for it.

See Lydia at the Natural History Museum (and one of the highlights from "Night at the Museum") at lyddlelydia.blogspot.com. If you need an invite, just email me at bonbonbassoon@gmail.com.

How is your General Conference weekend going?

We:

...thanks to the internet, have been watching in the comfort of our home, even though we no longer live in Utah.

...missed the first few minutes of the Saturday Morning session because the streaming over the internet only had sound for the choir, not the speakers. We, tragically enough, weren't able to blame Classical 89 (which we usually do for Conference issues), but could imagine the panic happening behind the scenes as they try to figure out which cord is unplugged, or which pot is down, or which button just needs to be pushed.

...enjoyed all the talks - following the prophet seems to be a theme, don't you think?

...missed having family around (especially for the Priesthood session - Adam went by himself and I sat at home wishing I had my sisters, Mom, aunts and Grandma to hang out with. Note to self: Make friends (easier said than done). But we did carry on a Walton tradition of the men coming home from Priesthood and sharing what they heard while we all eat dessert (dark chocolate brownies - yum).

...ate yummy cinnamon rolls this morning, which should be a General Conference Sunday tradition, don't you agree? Weirdly enough, Lydia was not a fan.

...think it's odd to be watching at 12 and 4 instead of 10 and 2, but it means I have time in the morning to blog. Sweet.

Favorites

2010-09-29T10:46:00.003-06:00

One of my absolute favorite things that we did in the whole 2 months of New Yorkiness was walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. We had spent the whole day running around Brooklyn (closed museum, closed museum, Coney Island, no food, no food, lots of walking, feed baby on sketchy park bench, spicy hot dogs, no ice cream, no ice cream, lots of walking, expensive (but good) ice cream, lots of walking and then we were at the Brooklyn Bridge. The sun was setting behind Manhattan and it was GORGEOUS. I was sad that Adam couldn't be there, but glad that I got to share a favorite moment with my Dad, Laura, Christian and Ali (and Lydia, of course).

Someday, when we are rich and famous (actually, when Adam is famous and I get to partake in just the rich part), I want to spend an anniversary or other special occasion at this little restaurant under (kind of) the Brooklyn Bridge. It looks out over the water and just looks so sweet. Someone put a bug in Adam's ear? I know for a fact he doesn't read this blog. So all my secrets are safe.

Seriously, gorgeous - do this if you're ever in NYC. The expensive (but good) ice cream place was called the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (I think) and is right next to that cute restaurant and by "right next to" I mean "across some water from." The first, last, and middle picture on this post came from there.

P.S. Lydia posts are up. She's cuter than ever.

Some Punks Visited

2010-09-21T10:55:00.004-06:00

And we had a grand old time at Coney Island and the MoMA (not in that order). The kids actually rode on the roller coasters. Ali gave the Cyclone a thumbs down, but all three of them enjoyed the ferris wheel/roller coaster. Lydia, Dad and I stayed firmly planted on solid ground.
Ali after the cyclone. "I'm sure happy to still be alive!"

Something about having a baby has made me kinda averse to extreme sports (if riding a roller coaster is either extreme or a sport, which it's not). It used to be fun to feel like I was going to die. Not so anymore. Is this a normal Mom response?

The MoMA was fun. I was impressed with how well my sibs knew Modern art (I had expected them to be bored). And then we made our own art. Doesn't Laura belong in a museum?And we, of course, saw some famous stuff.

More Dad in NYC

2010-09-20T07:48:00.003-06:00

Sightseeing

2010-08-28T09:55:00.003-06:00

This is a picture of the inside of the Public Library. That place has come up with somewhere weird to store it's books, because all I saw were walls like this. Okay, that's not entirely true. The reading rooms had a few books. Now those were cool rooms. I thought I took a picture, but that may have been a lie. Maybe it was on my Dad's camera? Maybe I'm crazy?

And here's Grand Central Station. The two buildings are kind of in the same grand style. I guess New York wanted to prove they were someone back whenever they were built (too lazy to even Wiki it).Constellations on the ceiling - except backwards so we can see them "The way God sees them." Really? Kinda odd if you ask me.

I am aware that these pictures are not great and that looking at a bunch of pictures of buildings is not great blogging material. I'll work on that.

But Lydia's still cute. See for yourself on her blog.

I should never go to Target - or anywhere that they sell baby clothes for that matter

2010-08-27T19:47:00.003-06:00

We went to Target the other night for a few essentials for the new house and I got lost in the baby clothes section - cute baby dress after cute baby dress screamed at me that Lydia would look amazing in it (and only $8!). These are only a few of the adorable "must-haves" that I valiantly kept myself from purchasing. Aren't they adorable? Especially that turquoise/blue/white polka-dotted dress in the upper left. I die. Therefore, I should not walk into stores that carry baby clothes. Everytime I walk away from an adorable baby outfit a part of my soul stays behind with it.

Target baby clothes I want by wallofbonbons on Polyvore.com

Which one is your favorite?

Dad sees Nueva York

2010-08-27T09:55:00.000-06:00

I was able to persuade my Dad to come visit for a few days during our last couple weeks in New York. He was really interested in all the architecture, so we spent a couple days wandering around looking at cool buildings.

Dad tried falafel for the first time - I loved it, and obviously he did as well, considering it got all over his nose as he wolfed it down.

The New York Public Library Lions - unfortunately the whole facade was covered in scaffolding - my experience with famous buildings has been that they're ALWAYS covered in scaffolding.
We saw the New York Public Library, Grand Central Station, the Chrysler Building, the Guggenheim, the Met, Greenwich Village, Washington Square Park, Bryant Park, Central Park, Ground Zero, Trinity Church (including the graves of Alexander Hamilton and the guy who invented the steam engine - Robert Fulton), the outside of the New York Stock Exchange, the place where George Washington was inaugurated, and the Staten Island Ferry. And that was before my siblings got here. Thanks, Dad - it was a blast running around the city with you, even if we did get stuck waiting for the A-train at 42nd street for more time than I like to think.

Caramoor

2010-08-26T09:11:00.001-06:00

Lydia and I got to visit the site where Adam performed this summer. It was gorgeous there - lush, green, and beautifully landscaped. Thanks to a nice guard, we even got to listen to some of the performance.

See pictures of Lyddle on her blog.

Lincoln Center

2010-08-25T09:33:00.004-06:00

This day was incredibly hot. It was during the heatwave that hit New York this summer and Lydia and I spent the two days following chained to our air-conditioner. I was glad to get a chance to see the Lincoln Center, though - with all it's famous performing halls.

Ah, the temple.

More of Babycakes on her blog.

Hi again

2010-08-24T19:46:00.003-06:00

So...I've realized that I tend to take blogging breaks whenever life gets stressful for me. Or just busy. I guess that makes sense - the blog gets neglected instead of the baby or something. The busyness has definitely been present during the last month or so. It started with my Dad coming into town, followed by my 3 younger siblings. Then we had to move out of our apartment, get back to Utah, finish up two online classes, pack our lives onto a semi (that we didn't have to drive out to Indiana ourselves), go to a weeklong family reunion, then move to Indiana and unpack the lives that had been on a semi. Kinda crazy, but things seem to be settling down. We have a nice little townhouse with lots of space here, and, most importantly - Lydia has her own room. We're all much more rested these days.

Adam has had orientation this week, including some brutal tests, and will start classes next week. We've already gone to our ward, which we quite enjoyed, and we maybe even learned a few names. Although this town is nothing like New York, we think we'll like it here.

So - I hope to be posting a few things to update you on what has happened in the last little while (mostly during the last few weeks in New York, because that filled up my camera cards and I didn't have anywhere to empty them until we got to Indiana). I will also be posting pictures to Lydia's blog. For example, there's a new picture up now.

Staten Island Ferry or the cheap way to see the Statue of Liberty

2010-07-10T20:41:00.006-06:00

Spoiler: photo of Lydia on this blog. I know, Shocker, huh.

We had to keep her from getting sunburned on that bald head somehow.

Fun, relaxing and free! Highly recommend it.

I am not a photographer

2010-07-08T10:38:00.001-06:00

All I want is to be able to take nice-looking snapshots of my family (and, apparently, household plants).

My camera has done wonderful things for this goal. I've been experimenting with full Manual mode because I was having trouble getting enough light in my photos (when taken indoors) when using Aperture priority.

These photos are of a lovely orchid Adam brought home for me just a few days before our Anniversary (which I will blog about eventually, maybe) and were taken in full Manual. I think the exposure turned out okay, don't you?

More pictures of the Lyds up on her blog.

Shack Attack

2010-07-06T09:59:00.005-06:00

I have wanted to go to the famed Shake Shack for awhile. Because it's famed. So we went.

But not to the original Shake Shack. The line is supposed to be hours long. Seriously - they have a camera online that you can watch to check how long the line is. I, being a kind wife, decided not to put Adam through that, and instead went to the second installment of the Shake Shack, which still had a long line, a longer wait, loud music, and no available tables. We ate on a bench outside the Museum of Natural history.

Verdict:

Good shroom-burgers - so much cheesy goodness.

The fries were meh for us.

Adam thought his strawberry shake was kinda generic.

I loved my "Concrete" - basically a custard shake with yummy mix-ins.

So...good, but not that good. And certainly not worth the price tag. If you look closely at the pictures, you can see that Adam turned the S's on the bag into $'s. I laughed, but only because it was true.

If I were writing a review, which I guess this kind of is, I would say "Go for the experience, but probably only once. And don't waste money on the fries."

This post won't run until Tuesday, but I'm writing it on Sunday night. Based on requests from my Mom to blog more often, I'm creating a batch of future posts. It's hard to post during the day. I usually wait until the evening, in the "Golden Hours" after bedtime for the little one. Am I the only one that looks forward to those hours after bedtime and stays up way too late during them?

If this post-dating posts thing is working, there should be a new Lydia post up. As always, let me know if you need an invite.

Independence Day Thoughts

2010-07-04T21:01:00.005-06:00

Happy Fourth of July! We celebrated with a walk in the park, long naps during church (for more than 1 of us - Wheps!), and raspberries, blackberries and cream for an evening dessert. That was the closest I could come to a festive treat, considering that we don't really bake around here and blueberries are not even in the same goodness league as blackberries.

Lately:

Our bishop asked us if you have to have a beard to be a singer. We laughed.

Lydia gave me a bloody nose. I assume this is a harbinger of things to come and am imagining all the things I will endure at the hands of my children. I am not looking forward to vomit.

Adam has been really enjoying his Opera program at Caramoor. He even had a celebrity sighting when he ran into Sonia, a choreographer on SYTYCD, in the elevator in their building. He's also seen the original Elfaba from Wicked. Basically, he's famous. He gets along with everyone in the program great, and gets invited to some fun parties. We chose not to go the 4th of July one, where the main attraction was a bathtub full of ice and booze, and Adam opted out of the MuuMuus and eyeshadow party, which is a shame, since he cuts a nice figure in tentlike dresses.

I discovered the joy of picking out books to read to your child. Seriously, I almost started skipping in the library when I saw the shelves and shelves of picture books so full of old friends. Now I need to make a list of my favorites that will someday be Lydia's favorites (or hated enemies) because I read them to her. Shaping a little mind is awesome.

Here are just a few I want to find: "Goodnight, Moon" (because "Goodnight, Bush," while funny, is lost on a wee one), "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," "A Special Trade," "Oh, the Places You'll Go," "Blueberries for Sal," and so many more. We've already read a Madeline book, one of the Little Critter books, "Whistle for Willie" and "Make Way for Ducklings." Oh, and Adam has requested the book about the 7 brothers who can't be killed. Anyone know the name of that one, or have suggestions for more must-reads?

Loved the MOMA, but it was a madhouse. Apparently the free Friday nights is not a well-kept secret.

We also went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I had forgotten how monstrously large it was. We saw the Egypt stuff and a bunch of Japan before sinking into an art-induced trance. We just wandered through the European paintings section with glazed eyes, oblivious to the masterpieces. We just wanted an exit, and when we found that, we wanted food. That hot-dog vendor at the bottom of those steps makes BANK. One walk through Central Park and one long subway ride got us home to rest our sore feet.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of us at the Met. Not that I like taking pictures of the art, but it would have been nice to have documentation of us being there, seeing the art. Next time, we've decided we'll go and see ONE section, no more. ONE, you hear me? ONE.

There will be a new Lydia post up in a few minutes. Let me know if you need an invite.

Blurry pictures

2010-06-26T19:44:00.001-06:00

New pictures are up on Lydia's blog - I warn you, they are not high quality, but they are cute.

Pictures of our Walk in the Park

2010-06-26T08:46:00.000-06:00

Cloisters

I saw this little guy as we were about to leave - you can't tell from this photo, but he was HUGE, and I can't figure out what it is. A giant potgut? Maybe a groundhog? I only say that because he reminded me of the Punxatawney Phil in Groundhog Day, except I'm pretty sure this guy was bigger. And then I walked past and he meandered slowly up that cliff next to him.

Note to Self:

2010-06-25T15:12:00.002-06:00

Unless you want Lydia to be mistaken for a boy multiple times, when you go out in public, she must be wearing pink. Even then, it's anything but a sure bet.

Maybe I should just cave and start putting bows on her. I just don't think they're our style. And she's too wiggly - she's always pulling them down around her neck. Isn't that a strangulation hazard?

Rolls with Holes

2010-06-25T07:51:00.002-06:00

One of the things I was looking forward to most in New York was eating the famed bagels - the quintessential bagel, if I can say that.

Unfortunately, I've been disappointed.

I have to remind you that I'm not a dummy when it comes to bagels - I've been eating them all my life, and, for the past 2 years, making them. However, our living situation is such that we don't have the things necessary to do much baking - and if we did we would probably just end up cooking ourselves by adding that extra heat to our apartment. So, I was just assuming that we would find a neighborhood deli or bakery that made great bagels and go from there.

WRONG. All our neighborhood bakeries and delis and this weird idea about bagels - namely that you don't have to boil them. LIES! I am here to tell you that a bagel without boiling is just a roll with a hole (line stolen from the writer of our bagel recipe). Seriously - the texture ends up all wrong and I, the consumer, am most seriously displeased.

As you can see, this is causing great unhappiness in my life. What should I do to get my bagel fix?

*image from here.

Also, if you haven't noticed yet, there are a couple new Lydia posts.

The Quest to do things

2010-06-24T16:07:00.002-06:00

On Tuesday, the New Yorky thing Lydia and I did was to find a library and get a card. One subway stop later, one cranky librarian conquered, one plastic card in hand, I couldn't overcome the final hurdle, which was finding the Children's section at the Inwood branch of the New York Public library. For obvious reasons, I didn't want to even talk to the librarian of crankiness again, so we went home and googled it. Ah...it's upstairs. There was an upstairs? Guess we'll be back.

The next day (the day commonly referred to as Wednesday) we were going to go back to the library and to playgroup (or Lunch Bunch, as our ward likes to call it) but things didn't happen quickly enough and we were just lazying around the apartment (more like "in the shower") when the door buzzed - loud and long and repeatedly. I had no idea who it could be, but buzzed them in. Turns out Adam (A) got out of rehearsal/class early and (B) forgot his keys. Good thing we didn't make it to playgroup. Also a good thing the person I buzzed in wasn't some psycho killer intent on butchering us, right?

Which brings us to today, the day we planned to spend moseying around Central Park, to see what we could see. Basically, it didn't happen. Before going to Central Park, we wanted to walk through Times Square (how could we not?), which isn't a problem unless you get on the wrong train and skip all the stops up until 125th street. At that point, we had been walking for an hour and a half and didn't want to back track, so we rescheuled for Saturday and went home. 5 minutes after we walked in the door a thunderstorm started. Maybe it was a good thing Central Park fell through.

I feel like a slackface though - no pictures of Times Square - I was too intent on not looking like a tourist, but when I'm walking around with a camera bag twice the size of my baby's head (and have you seen her head? It's a big 'un), what's the point? Note to self: Just take a lot of pictures.

I Love This City

2010-06-21T22:36:00.002-06:00

On Sunday, I had a startling realization. We are a third of the way through our time here. I personally, feel like I haven't even started the whole living in New York process. Well, we've done the essential things, like figure out where to shop and how to get around, but we haven't done many quintessential New York things. But we have had fun. I have pictures to show you of our Staten Island Ferry trip (very nice, especially once Adam got the baby to sleep), and for our anniversary, we went to a great little Indian restaurant (which is how Adam would prefer to be a tourist - just eat all the great food in a city) and Adam works right next to Times Square - so he feels like he's in the thick of things every day. Basically, I am not saying we haven't done anything, but I may be saying that I feel like we haven't done enough. So...Lydia and I are going to start doing things.

One evening last week Adam had to pick something up from the apartment of a guy in his program. So we went on a little family walk. I discovered that by cutting through the subway station, I could take an elevator to the top of the cliff that's in front of our apartment building. Huzzah! No stairs involved! Or at least fewer than if I go through the park. That was going to be a death march with a stroller. Anyway, on our little walk, we discovered what I think is one of the most beautiful parts of the city. It's high up, with views of the city and the river, and there's this park. So awesome. We walked and talked and looked and wished we had a camera and then finished out the night with ice cream from an ice cream truck. Doesn't get better than that. So today (or Monday - which might be today or might be yesterday, depending on when this posts), Lydia and I took a walk to that park. The one on top of the cliff. Coincidentally, the home of The Cloisters, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art - pretty much a really cool building put together from all these old medieval buildings that were going to get torn down, and the place now houses the Met's collection of medieval and renaissance art. I wanted to go and see it, maybe go inside (depending on how much I was going to be able to swallow my pride and pay less than the suggested donation). We walked around, Lydia slept, I took pictures, and it was generally gorgeous. This city knows how to do parks. I don't know if it's an East Coast thing, but I love parks here. Lots of shaded benches, tons of old and huge trees, beautiful (but not too manicured) flower beds, and perfect views in all directions. I feel like the parks that I'm used to (i.e. Utah parks) do big families and entertaining for kids parks, but not parks for the individual. And that's what Fort Tryon Park is. A park for the individual. For walking and sitting and thinking. It reminded me of parks in London, honestly.

I had a great time and felt like I had a nice New Yorky thing going on. Everyone was so nice, too. An old man sitting on a bench (not wearing much, I might add) said "Take it easy, honey. It's hot out," and then complained about the ice cream truck not being on time. A group of teens on their bikes came whizzing around a corner just as I was about to turn it. The leader called back - "Be Careful, Dudes. BABY!" And then everyone of them called out "BABY" to the ones behind and apologized for not seeing me sooner. So pretty. So - if you're ever on the north end of Manhattan, spend an afternoon in Fort Tryon Park and walk through the Heather Garden. Take a picnic and eat it on a nice shady bench. You'll like it.

Only damper on my day - the only entrance to the Cloisters I could find involved a flight of stairs. Doesn't that violate some sort of accessibility law? Only people who can walk (and don't have babies) can appreciate art, clearly.

Maybe I'll put pictures on this post tomorrow when I can use Adam's computer. Until then, sorry about the wall of text. Love you if you got this far.

What we have learned in the past few weeks:

2010-06-15T19:04:00.002-06:00

I speak better Spanish than I do Russian.
The MTA is not in the habit of blowing up suspicious packages on their subway platforms. Thanks to this oversight, Adam's scriptures are intact.
Lydia actually loves rice cereal. You know before, when we thought she hated it? Really, she was just like, "PSYCH!"
On a related note, highchairs really are a necessary baby item.
On another related note, Craigslist is our favorite - in the past couple months, we have gotten an AWESOME (and relatively cheap) sublet, sold our car, and gotten a perfect highchair on that great list of Craig's (or ksl.com - which, let's admit, KSL kinda kifed from Craig).
Eastern European mustard doesn't mess around. Clears out your sinuses, that does.
Having a baby with you can make the crustiest of New Yorkers smile.
I am perfectly capable of navigating the New York subway system with a baby in a stroller (sans husband). I feel so empowered.
The above is only made possible because of our wonderful stroller. We love Maclarens! Along with the rest of New York.
Government employees hate me.
We moved into THE ward to live in if you sing Opera. Seriously, the amount of singers in this ward is ridiculous.
Lydia loves it when we sing. She apparently inherited her father's affinity for music. Not sure if she's a discerning listener, though - she likes my singing just as much as Adam's. Also - whistling is the coolest thing since sliced bread, or in this case, rice cereal.
Humidity really is beastly - but hey, no need to use lotion!
Making meals is easier when you only have 3 ingredients. No decisions necessary.
Singers in New York are surprisingly similar to singers at BYU, but make more slightly inappropriate jokes.
Breaking into our apartment is surprisingly easy. How comforting.

Happy Anniversary, Adam - and Happy Birthday, Laura!

2010-06-13T08:46:00.005-06:00

Today is a big day! Two years ago, Adam and I got married, and yes, we did choose my little sister's birthday as our wedding date. Sorry, Laura! But I think she's recovered and doesn't hate us anymore. I just wanted to give her a shoutout and tell her how awesome she is - what a great example of hard work, great sense of humor, impeccable fashion, insane intelligence, wonderful taste in music, and all around fun. I hope your day is awesome, Lauralyn. Also, I'd like to say thank you to Adam for a wonderful two years. They've been unbelievable, and I'm so glad to be going through life with the best man I know. I love you!

Just a big kid

2010-06-11T09:42:00.000-06:00

On Memorial Day we went to a farmish type thing with Adam's sister and her three girls. Adam started out the day by attempting to not be photographed. So unenthused.Look - an unhappy smile.

But then he saw the train.And had quite a bit of fun proving that he could fit through spaces meant for small children.

Check it out - this is our apartment!

2010-06-10T09:27:00.002-06:00

Sorry about the bad lighting, but this is basically what the apartment we're subletting looks like. We couldn't be happier with it.

New Lydia posts

2010-06-09T16:21:00.001-06:00

There are new posts on Lydia's private blog. Let me know if you need an invite. Included in those posts is a way to watch that darned video!

What the heck, Blogger?

2010-06-03T12:14:00.002-06:00

This is what blogger thinks our apartment looks like.

Grrrr

2010-06-03T12:01:00.002-06:00

I spent all of yesterday trying to upload a video of Lydia's first time eating rice cereal. It failed about 80 times, so I've given up - I will have to find a different way of doing it. She hated it anyway. We tried again today and she hated it even more. She would turn her head way over to the side and refuse to open her mouth while Adam was trying to shove the stuff down her throat. Poor kid. She's too distracted to nurse and too picky to eat. Guess she'll starve.

Well, we live in NYC now. We think our apartment is just perfect for us and are enjoying ourselves so far (although the prospect of going out and doing anything besides grocery shopping has so far been too daunting to overcome). I took a bunch of pictures of the apartment that are loading on to the computer right now - I'll post them when we get a chance.

Any suggestions for navigating NYC with a baby in a stroller (one who hates humidity?)? Or fun things to do? Or hints for getting a picky baby to eat? Please, let me know.

Happy Birthday Katie!

2010-05-14T12:27:00.002-06:00

It's birthday season around here. Today is my wonderful older sister's b-day. We used to live right across the hall from each other, but now we don't and I miss it. Here's hoping we live close sometime in the future. I love you, Katie!

Happy Birthday Ali!

2010-05-02T12:54:00.002-06:00

She's smart, talented, beautiful, creative, and kind of a spaz. She's also 12 now! Congratulations, little sister!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2010-05-01T23:35:00.001-06:00

The amazing woman I'm named after's birthday is today. Hope it's grand, Grandma Bonnie!

So, here's the deal

2010-04-28T15:49:00.005-06:00

I have a cute baby. I also have a lot of pictures of that cute baby that I love to share on her private blog. The cute baby also takes up a lot of my time so that I don't have much to talk about on this blog. But I said that I would post on this blog whenever I had posted on that blog, but I feel lame just posting that I posted. Do you follow? I don't have a great way to remedy this problem, but I'll make up a post.

...

Thinking...

Adam and Lydia and I have moved in with Adam's parents. Adam censuses (did you send yours in? If not, Adam may just knock on your door one of these days) all day and I play with my cute baby, play Mario Kart on our new Wii (my birthday present) while she naps, and feel guilty about the fact that my in-laws house now looks like our personal storage unit (boxes in the kitchen, boxes in the family room, boxes in our room and Lydia's room, and lots of boxes in the garage) and sometimes move some of those boxes other places to attempt to remedy that problem. Clearly, I do a lot with my day. So...that was my post. And now I'll link to Lydia's blog, where there are cute pictures of her. But here are some pictures so this post isn't completely lame. Only mostly.

Laura had prom. I did her hair. She will probably never speak to me again. But she looked beautiful.

My grandma got me flowers for graduation - aren't they pretty?
Adam and his friend Eric: graduates. Awesome, eh?

We're Gradumicated!

2010-04-27T08:00:00.001-06:00

Adam loved his pink tassel :)

Click here to see how Lydia liked graduation.

Dropped Eggs

2010-04-25T22:00:00.006-06:00

As a big party before various family members scattered to the four winds (we're going to NYC and then Indiana, have you heard?), we got together with my siblings and Mom to have a contest of sorts. There were two aspects - who could build the tallest tower out of toothpicks and marshmallows, and who could design a carrier that would protect an egg whilst it was dropped from the top story of a 6-story parking garage? And fun was had by all.

Happily but tragically, all the eggs survived. Until we redid the dropping without a few layers. Then we got some good yolk.

In other news, a new Lydia post will be up just moments after this post.

New Lydia post

2010-03-16T17:49:00.005-06:00

There's a new Lydia post, along with one scheduled to post tomorrow morning. Just FYI.

In other Walton family news, Adam has been accepted to a graduate program in Indiana - we're not sure if we're going to accept yet (he's still got another audition next week), but regardless of what happens, WE HAVE SOMEWHERE TO GO! I'm excited. Congratulations, Adam!

I've learned a new skill

2010-03-03T23:55:00.002-07:00

I am now capable of uploading video onto blogger. Hence, a new video of Lydia being happy is up on lyddlelydia.blogspot.com.

Gorgeous short

2010-03-03T18:13:00.001-07:00

Graduation at Harvard

2010-02-28T01:11:00.001-07:00

Love this talk by JK Rowling. Thanks, Ogdens.

JK Rowling: The fringe benefits of failure | Video on TED.com

Update?

2010-02-18T00:21:00.003-07:00

Okay, it's been awhile. Funny how a newborn takes a lot of time. And school - that thing I do.

Quick update:

Lydia appears to be thriving. Nice and fat. Just the way we like it.
Adam got a job for this summer! Huzzah! We'll be living in New York while he gets PAID to SING at a music festival called Caramoor. If you're in the area, let us know and we'll try to get together/give you information so you can watch him sing.
We're doing great.

Here are things we're hoping for:

Adam getting a job
Me doing well in my classes
Adam getting into a good grad school (he's got auditions for several coming up in the next few weeks!)
Lydia learning how to hold up her head - she hates tummy time.
Me losing enough weight to be able to wear my wedding ring again. As fun as the teen mom look is...

Speaking of Lydia, there are new pictures up (including ones of her blessing) on her blog, lyddlelydia.blogspot.com. Let me know if you need an invite.

Smiles!

2010-01-22T18:41:00.001-07:00

Lydia has started smiling this week! Right on schedule! See this new trick here!

Pictures of Lydia now available! (on the other blog)

2009-12-29T20:02:00.001-07:00

Here goes nothing - there are a few pictures posted on lyddlelydia.blogspot.com. Email me at bonbonbassoon@gmail.com or comment below if you want an invite.

The Lyddle One

2009-12-29T03:54:00.003-07:00

Adam and I have decided that we don't want pictures of Lydia out there on the internet for all to see (although we do have some on facebook, for all our 400 or so "friends" to see). However, we do want our blogosphere friends to be able to see her. So..., I've decided to make another blog. This one will be private, and will be solely about Lydia. All our pictures and updates about her will be on that blog, but I will post links on this blog to any updates on that blog. Make sense? Then, people won't have to worry about the hassle of following two blogs, or remembering to check the private blog. Any new posts will be posted on this blog. Make sense? Anyway, all that remains is to actually start posting on this other private blog of ours, and to send invites to anyone who wishes to be able to view said blog. So, either leave a comment on this post with your email address or email me at bonbonbassoon@gmail.com if you'd like an invite to the private blog, lyddlelydia.blogspot.com. Is this whole post too convoluted and confusing? Any complaints should also be put in the comments or emailed to me.

Not being pregnant is a beautiful thing. So is my baby.

2009-12-08T08:31:00.001-07:00

It's over! And just beginning! Just a post to say that my baby made her appearance yesterday (9 days overdue) and is positively perfect in everyway. Lydia Denise is her name, she was born at 6:43 am, and weighed 7 lbs and 6 oz with a length of 19.5 inches. Did I mention that she's beautiful? Because she is.

Where have I seen this?

2009-11-09T16:37:00.002-07:00

My little bro, on a mission in Philly, sent this photo home. I loved it, mostly because Li'l Bro looks so darn good and I miss him, but in part because I know I've seen this billboard somewhere on the blogosphere. However, I have absolute no idea where it was. Anyone have any ideas?

Unfortunate Pregnancy Symptom #823

2009-11-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

Your fingers blow up like sausages until you can barely move them, let alone get your wedding ring off. You think everything is fine and dandy until the finger encircled by the ring starts to hurt. Wheps. Enter an early morning, lots of cold water, soap, and twisting, and the thing finally came off. Barely.

Guessing Game!

2009-11-05T12:39:00.002-07:00

Currently, I am 3.5 weeks away from my due date. Basically, I'm ready for this baby to come any time. With the arrival pending, Adam and I are hosting a little contest for people to guess the birth day, time, weight, length and name of the baby. Anyone who wants to guess is welcome to, and we may even have prizes for winners! Maybe (no guarantees)! My favorite entry so far has been from Adam's niece Ashlyn (age 2). Her whole entry was pretty awesome, but the best part was her guess at the length: little.

Men are funny - or maybe just Adam

2009-10-31T14:41:00.002-06:00

Adam does not know our home phone number. It has not stuck in his brain (partially due to a complete lack of effort). The home number is the only way of getting hold of me. As he carries a cell phone (or portable phone book), this isn't usually a problem. However, every once in a while his phone dies or he leaves it home. Then, when he needs to talk to me (to ask for a ride home, say), he's in a bit of a lurch. A couple times he has just walked home, but the latest instance cracked me up.

The phone rang. I answered and was surprised to hear Adam on the other end, since I knew his cell phone was sitting right next to me and that he didn't know our digits.

"How'd you get this number?"

"Oh, I just called University Info, and got the number for the housing office, called them, and asked for the number for our apartment. No biggie."

I laughed at the rigamarole he had to go through just to speak with his wife and suggested that he just memorize our number. No action has yet been taken.

Not over until the fat lady sings - but I'm not singing

2009-10-21T16:02:00.003-06:00

Hey all!

Adam's opera is playing this week, so things have been a little hectic. Everyone should come see it!

Tales of Hoffman, by Jacques Offenbach, French with English supertitles
October 21-24th, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday @ 7:00
HFAC, BYU

If you want to see Adam in his big role(s), the nights to go are tonight and Friday, but he has a smaller part on Thursday and Saturday, so you can still see him if you go then.

If it's good enough for The Sartorialist...

2009-10-14T10:00:00.001-06:00

A couple months ago The Sartorialist posted about some of his influences, as far as both fashion and photography go. He talked about this book. Besides having an awesome subtitle, it seems like something that would be accessible for a lay person (read: me). I certainly wouldn't mind having this around.

Piecing it together

2009-10-13T10:00:00.002-06:00

The first step towards making a quilt has been made - I bought a bunch of fabric.I wanted to put together a mix of pinks, light browns (kind of carmel) and peach (These photos make everything seem kinda yellow, sorry), and I'm quite pleased with the results. What do you think?

I guess, if you want to be technical, the first step was finding a pattern, which I did about a week ago in a quilting book from the library.The thing that won it for this design was the doability of it. I can do straight lines and squares. SWEET! Obviously, I chose less garish colors, but I hope it will turn out well.

Now I just need to find a rotary cutter and mat - anyone have suggestions?

Rugged

2009-10-13T09:57:00.002-06:00

Today's rugby pictures on The Sartorialist make me happy. And nostalgic for London. Not that I ever watched rugby there, but if it had been in season, gosh darn I would have. It's on the list of things to do when I go back with Adam.

Economics news

2009-10-12T15:17:00.000-06:00

I'm not heavily involved with the world of economics these days (bad econ major), but I would like to point out the fact that for the first time since the creation of the Nobel Prize for Economics, the prize has gone to a woman, Elinor Ostrom.

I should be all for this, correct? The only problem is that she's not even an economist - she's a highly decorated political scientist. Steven Levitt, one of the authors of Freakonomics (and Superfreakonomics, coming out in a week or so), predicts that economists will be more upset over this than Republicans were over Obama winning the Peace Prize (which is a completely different discussion, so if you put anything in the comments that is remotely similar to the tirades on facebook a few days ago, I'll hate you forever. Just Kidding. Probably).

Making the lives of pregnant women everywhere easier

2009-10-12T12:03:00.005-06:00

It is with great chagrin that I post this picture, but rest assured, I am only attempting to prove a point.This picture was taken last night, so we're looking at 33 weeks, 1 day (yes, I have gotten to the point where each day is significant, in that it gets me one day closer to not being pregnant anymore). This period during my life shall henceforth be known as "a time of great largeness that I'd rather not talk about." I can do this for 7 more weeks, right? I hear it's worth it...

That, believe it or not, was a tangent. The real point is to show off the dress that I'm wearing. I've been considering investing in a nice maternity dress for awhile, just because they look so comfortable and easy to wear, and also because up to this point Sundays have been kind of rough, with my wardrobe of skirts not made for pregnant women. Uncomfortable doesn't even begin to describe it. My wonderful mother took pity on me and bought this dress, considering it an investment that will be passed on to my sisters when they have kids, etc. So I now own a maternity dress. Let me tell you, it is heaven. This thing is so freaking comfortable. I put it on for something earlier this week (on a weekday) and then just didn't change out of it because it was so nice to wear. Moral of this story: Maternity dresses are a pregnant woman's best friend.

This was all fresh in my mind while browsing the internet a few days ago, when I came across these.
What a genius idea! Of course we'd need an LDS appropriate version (possibly in better colors), but I thought this looked cool.

*found via swiss miss

So cool

2009-10-09T10:00:00.005-06:00

I want one of these in my house.

We didn't need that Pre-natal class

2009-10-08T10:00:00.002-06:00

Adam already posted this on his blog, but since I was the one who found it, I feel justified in posting it here. In case you find the thought of attending a pre-natal class too much to bear, here's everything you need to know about babies.

http://makememinimal.com/2008/instrucciones-para-cuidar-un-bebe/

Ignore the Spanish - it still makes sense.

Which one is your favorite?

Thoughts on love

2009-10-07T15:03:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite blogs to read is the Apron Stage. Today's post was particularly poignant.

http://theapronstage.com/2009/10/07/a-post-about-love/#more-2296

Are we immature?

2009-10-07T09:46:00.000-06:00

Adam and I have been attending a prenatal class, which teaches/scares you about giving birth and taking care of a newborn. Maybe it's just us, but some of the things they say are just too funny (and immensely awkward), and we bust up laughing at the back of the room. Clearly, we are the immature members of the class, the ones whose child will be shunned for their entire life because they weren't brought up by real adults.

Favorite quote of mine: "Some couples may be alarmed by the appearance of their newborn and experience an urge to put it back because it's not done yet."

Classic, I tell ya.

Lots of time

2009-10-06T09:42:00.000-06:00

So, I'm officially unemployed. There are pros and cons to this situation, the pros being that I no longer have to sit for long periods of time (you'd be surprised how uncomfortable this is when 7 months pregnant) and that I now have loads of time to get ready for the baby to come. On the con side, we don't have very much income and the word on the street is that babies are expensive. Who woulda thunk.

In all my newly acquired time, I've got big plans. I checked out a bunch of books on photography, and I'd like to create some skills in that department, and I'm going to make a quilt (and possibly some other items) for our incoming munchkin. This blog may be somewhat resurrected and become an arena for showing off my mad skillz. Yes, that's a z. I'm such a gangster.

Also, I'm hoping to read a lot. If anyone has suggestions for things to read (either baby/parenting related or completely for fun/interest), let me know.

No Duh

2009-10-06T09:40:00.002-06:00

My brother ran into a friend of his on campus and the following interchange ensued.

Brother's friend: "Hey, I saw your sister! Did you know she's pregnant?"
Brother (Clark): "..."

Prize goes to the person who comes up with the best response Clark should have used.

Pretty good odds

2009-10-05T11:33:00.003-06:00

Adam has been working on applications for summer programs. He's applying to several, all of which would pay him (at least a bit) to sing. I approve of this step - getting paid to sing. We're not sure how stiff the competition is, but we did run into a bit of info that seemed encouraging. This is a blurb from the website of one of the programs Adam is applying to.

How many applicants do we receive?
Below are the averages of our auditions data covering the last seven years:

No. of applicants 545
No. of applicants scheduled 455
Age range 21-approximately 35
Sopranos 226
Mezzos 78
Tenors 50
Baritones 45
Bass-Baritones 9
Basses 6

Adam is a Bass-Baritone. Looking pretty good, eh? Of course, they only hire 26 or 27, but still, we're glad he's not a Soprano, because that's freaking ridiculous.

The growing whaleness

2009-09-02T20:30:00.003-06:00

~21 weeks (thanks for the picture, Sage!)

~23 weeks

Today, ~27 weeks

More favorites from OBX

2009-09-01T22:41:00.005-06:00

A few favorites from Outer Banks

2009-08-21T08:38:00.000-06:00

Howdy, Stranger

2009-07-27T11:35:00.003-06:00

It's been awhile, and by awhile I mean 5 months, since I did anything with this li'l blog o' mine. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure if resurrecting it is in my plans, but I figured I would at least give it a go. I'm actually contemplating going private in the near future, so let me know if you'd like to be on that exclusive list (not that exclusive - I am certainly guilty of blog stalking people I barely know or haven't spoken to in years, so if you're lurking, let me know and I'll make sure you get an invite if I go private. This is too long of an aside).

The point is, however, that a lot has been going on in the last 5 months. The most significant change is that we're expecting a baby! In November! So I'm over halfway through!

Sorry if this comes as a big shock to anyone. I was just afraid I was going to run into a good friend at the mall or something and they'd kill me for not letting them know. Or that they'd look at recently tagged photos of me on facebook and think I was just getting morbidly obese. This isn't exactly something I can hide any longer (speaking of, I know this girl who just had a baby. The pregnant pictures of herself on facebook are ridiculous. At 21.5 weeks, I look as big as she was at 36.5! I am going to be the largest of blimps/whales).

Anyway, it's a girl, due on November 28th (two days after Thanksgiving) and we're so, so, so excited! Adam thinks ultrasound pictures are awkward, and when they're not my own I kind of agree, but let me know if you want to see our little one.

Well, I probably won't really try to catch anyone up on what's been going on in our lives, partly because most of the people who follow this blog already know.

Let's just summarize:
We finished winter semester - Huzzah!
I got called to be in the Primary Presidency, which has been awesome and incredibly hard - Huzzah?
I spent 3 weeks jobless - less Huzzah!
Obama gave me a job - Huzzah!
Adam's family had a wonderful family reunion - Huzzah!
We decided to be more disciplined and active - Huzzah, but hard!
Pregnancy plus 100+ degree heat = not the most comfortable summer - Ick!
My family had a humongous family reunion (52 people) on the beach in North Carolina. We have now decided that Outer Banks, in North Carolina, is a pretty accurate representation of what the Celestial Kingdom looks like - Huzzah!
We learned that babies like Adam more than me - wheps
We tie-dyed onesies for the little one and only 1 turned out horrendously ugly - Huzzah!
The Washington Nationals game we went to actually started again after a 3 hour rain delay - Huzzah!
We made it home safely - Huzzah!

And now we're back and you're sick of Huzzahs. HUZZAH!

My Li'l Bro

2009-02-26T00:45:00.005-07:00

It was a rite of passage. The atmosphere was tense as, surrounded by his closest friends and many relatives, Li'l Bro slit open the envelope. He was nearly shaking with the anticipation of it all. Guesses had been made, all that remained to reveal his fate was to read the second line of that important letter.Dear Steven,

Blah blah blah blah, blahbitty blah blah blabo. Bloh blah blub, blaihb blah blah, blah blah Bloub blah blat blad blaith blah blah blahblahblah. Blah Blah Philadelphia, Pennsylvania mission. blah blah bolahb June 3rd, 2009.
HUZZAH!!! And who even cares what the rest of the letter says?

Congratulations, Steven!I'll miss you like crazy, especially since you're one of my closest friends. I never thought we'd be this close - when we were kids we were always the ones fighting like cats and dogs. But we've both grown up, and you've turned into a smart, dashing, insightful, thoughtful, stylin', brown-loving, spiritual, funny, curious (oh wait, you've always been like that - we even have a book about it), interesting, handsome and downright cool little brother. I'm glad I know you and I know you'll be an amazing missionary.P.S. Does anyone remember the Strongbad email about Little Brudder? Calling Steven Li'l Bro has always reminded me of that. Not that he doesn't have all his legs or anything.

Even watched on our laptop screen...

2009-02-24T15:34:00.001-07:00

...these movies have made me happy lately.

Everything is IlluminatedThis movie is gorgeous and thoughtful and extremely funny at times. And what's not to love about fields of sunflowers?

Penelope
I nearly died when I discovered that you could watch Penelope on Netflix instantly. Seriously, Adam was scared, I was so excited. Anyway, it's a fun watch, and the style (both set and clothes) is lovely (Note to any guys: Adam says that the only thing that made this worth it was being curled up with a girl (me). Just so you're warned).

Once

Be careful with Once - it's a British film and they don't think twice about using certain words. I watched it on a Clearplay and it was wonderful. It's real - not polished or anything - just honest and real. I love it. Oh, and the music is fantastic.

And, just for fun, North Avenue Irregulars.

Adam's family puts together movie parties every so often, involving costumes, themed foods, and applicable games, and this was the subject for the most recent one. It was made in the 70's and cracked me up. Good times.

*images from here, here, here, and here.

How to explain the economic crisis to a 5 year-old

2009-02-23T15:20:00.003-07:00

Actually, the title just came from an article I read on the Freakonomics blog. The real point of this post is to share a documentary (ish) that I watched in one of my econ classes. Less than an hour long, it's called Inside the Meltdown and does a great job of explaining what happened as far as the economic crisis goes, and even goes so far as to blame one person's one decision. YES! We have a scapegoat! If I could embed this video, I would - I am unsure whether this inability is due to my own incompetence or just technological restrictions. Just click the link.

We're so hardcore

2009-02-12T21:35:00.002-07:00

My good friends Kate, Scott and I need a name for our band. Any suggestions?

25 randomness

2009-02-11T10:57:00.001-07:00

25 things

1. I have to sleep with my feet uncovered.
2. I once ended up at a Prince concert accidentally. It was bizarre and kind of scary.
3. My favorite color is a dark, chocolatey brown. Mmmm good.
4. If I could eat anything, I’d probably stock up on goldfish crackers, bagels and cream cheese, sour cream and onion potato chips, and ice cream. Oh, don’t forget chips and salsa (with cream cheese). Of course, there's always Thai food, specifically Thai Peanut Sauce.
5. I strongly dislike milk and always have. It’s just SO nasty! My parents used to try to make me drink it using various means like threats and deals, but nothing has ever stuck.
6. I don’t remember the Christmas of my Junior year. I got a concussion the next day and forgot it all.
7. I love and adore my engagement/wedding ring. Have you seen it? It’s phenomenal.
8. I have a myriad of guilty pleasures.
9. I knocked out one of my two front teeth when I was 3 (ish) and it didn’t grow back in for YEARS. I have funny lopsided smiles in all my childhood pictures.
10. I won the spelling bees at my elementary school in both 5th and 6th grades.
11. I might tag more than 25 people in this note (don’t tell).
12. I have sensitive ears – I hate it when people use vulgar or crude language, and often think things are inappropriate that are completely accepted in normal society.
13. I am terrible at giving gifts. Let’s not even go there.
14. I would love to get good at photography. My mom took phenomenal pictures of me and my 6 siblings growing up and I want my kids to have the same kinds of memories and photos. Anyone know of good classes to take?
15. I spent a summer in London and loved it. Living in London is basically my dream and I would never, ever get bored. I think I just love the isolationist feel of the city, how you can ride the subway jam-packed full of people and still feel completely alone.
16. While living in London, I found the house one of my ancestors had lived in back in 1850, fell in love with the Tate Modern (truly gorgeous art. Rodin’s The Kiss was probably my favorite) and saw a dramatization of the book Heart of Darkness involving naked people and fire. It was on the banks of the Thames in the middle of the night. Completely scandalous, but really, really thought-provoking.
17. Listening to Indie bands makes me happy, even though I don’t spend as much time trying to find new ones and going to concerts and I used to. I still love that whole genre. The melancholy and the angst just kills me.
18. I enjoy opera, and would like to consider myself a bit on the cultured end of the spectrum, but I’m a sucker for musicals. Mary Poppins in London basically changed my life and I think I could listen to Wicked for a very long time without getting bored. Don’t judge me.
19. I got married to the most amazing man in the world on Friday the 13th. Fitting, considering that we started dating on Halloween. We already have a surprisingly long list of names for our future children, some possibly inspired by classical music. And yes, we are nerds.
20. I wanted to be a lawyer for a long time after competing in Mock Trials in 8th grade.
21. I was born in Boston and still feel strong ties to the city. If I could get away with it, I’d probably claim I was from Boston.
22. I have played (at one point in my life), the violin, piano, flute, bassoon, clarinet, and baritone (the last of which is really, really heavy. Too heavy to carry through the Fourth of July parade).
23. I stalk upwards of 80 blogs on a regular basis. If you would like your blog graced by my presence, just drop me a line!
24. I have never been in an accident, gotten a ticket (that wasn’t for expired registration), or broken a bone. I have had stitches a whole bunch of times, though.
25. Secretly, I want to be famous. I’m not sure if it’s because I’d like to be able to help people with that fame or if I’m just vain and want to be remembered, but I’d like to do something that earns recognition. Like discover a physics principle (unlikely at this point).
26 (as a bonus for the blog). I am a complete and total klutz. Adam just laughs.

Funny and True (Double-whammy!)

2009-02-10T17:30:00.001-07:00

Everyone should check out a new, up-and-coming blog that has me laughing. There's not a person on this planet (with any kind of social skills to speak of) who hasn't had those bad dating experiences. Sometimes they're miserable, sometimes they're awkward, and sometimes things are just too funny. At that point, you pass the ice cream around and laugh about it with your friends.

So, without further ado, passtheicecream.blogspot.com
Send in your own stories! If the keeper of the blog gets enough material, she'll continue posting daily! Huzzah!

*image from glamour.com

One year closer to the grave

2009-02-09T21:47:00.005-07:00

I don't know what it is about today, but all sorts of people have birthdays.

So, Happy Birthday, Salutations, Many Happy Returns, etcs, to:

My wonderful, thoughtful, cool, quirky, and good-looking brother, Clark. He'll always be Superman to me.
Hilary, the first of our group of friends to brave the marriage world (she gave the rest of us courage), who is now the cutest pregnant person I know.
Teresa, my oldest coworker (unless you count the full-timers, and who does? And by oldest, I mean "has been my coworker for the longest") who has made the last 4 years fun, random, and full of craziness.

I love you all!

I'd rather be a motley gaggle

2009-02-08T22:43:00.001-07:00

What on earth does motley even mean? The word is inseparable from crew, and I have no idea what it means on its own. Such a great word.

I'm totally musical

2009-01-30T17:52:00.004-07:00

I'm thinking of picking up the bassoon again.

Chantelle, there are no words.

2009-01-26T16:09:00.004-07:00

My freshman year of college, I moved into an apartment full of strangers. When I moved out of that apartment, I had lifelong friends. The whole group seemed to have been meant to be. We laughed together, hung out together, teased each other, angsted to one another, played nertz late into the night, and occasionally studied. I could not have imagined a better freshman year and it was made that way by the girls I lived with. Their love of life, strength in the gospel, complete goofiness and open hearts made the whole experience one I wouldn't trade for the world. One of those 5 girls is Chantelle. She was always the responsible one - the girl who got up for class even if we had kept her up until 2 in the morning. She was tidy, smart, motivated, fun, not afraid to be crazy once in a while, and incredibly gorgeous. I was impressed (and intimidated) by her from day one. I came to rely on her as one of my roommates that I could talk to about more than the cute boys in the ward or the bad score on my math quiz. The girl has depth, and wasn't afraid to share it.
Obviously, we're no longer freshmen, but we've remained friends. Various iterations of the original group have roommed together in subsequent years, and we've never lost contact. During some of the hardest times of my college years, Chantelle was there for me, always ready to listen, but full of optimism and hope at the same time. Wherever she goes, Chantelle reaches out to those around her, selflessly serving, quick to do the right thing. I don't think I know a better person. I know for a fact that she has left a deep imprint on many, many lives.

All 6 of us have gone our separate ways. As of this moment, 3 are married, one is engaged, on is in Korea serving a mission, and Chantelle leaves for Belgium on Wednesday, also to serve a mission.I'd just like to say, Chantelle, that I love you, and that I'll miss you. I admire you tremendously for what you're going to do, and what you've already done in your life. The people of Belgium and The Netherlands have no idea what they're in for, and I envy them. They better work hard to deserve you.
Have fun!

My Husband: Singer of the Year

2009-01-26T01:39:00.000-07:00

As promised, pictures from Adam's night of triumph.
Adam broke Katie and Sterling's rear-view mirror. It was a moment of supreme shock and mirth. The moment when I had to borrow Katie and Sterling's car because our own was stuck in a snowbank 4 minutes before Adam's performance was to start was not of supreme shock and mirth. More terror and panic. I like him.

Celebrity Sighting

2009-01-25T16:00:00.001-07:00

Friday, I ran into a person who's blog I stalk who does not actually know that I exist. Exciting, huh? Sister of a little sussy, just returned from New York after Grease closed on Broadway, and ripe out of surgery on her big toe due to an unfortunate altercation with a shower door, sitting in Macaroni Grill as nice as you please. Freaking out ensued, but don't worry, I felt a little sheepish. "Hi, I know you, but you don't know me. You're cool..." Don't worry, I didn't say anything, or try to snap pictures, or get a better look, or try for an autograph (Macaroni Grill provides crayons for this exact purpose, I'm sure). I hope I'm not that pathetic. She looked good, though.

Now, if I can just sight cjane and the kiddlums she's tending (Did I tell you that my sister and I considered trying to find them out trick-or-treating on Halloween? No, we're not creepy).

Ever done this? Run into someone you feel you know intimately because you read their online journal, but then become acutely aware that they have absolutely no idea that you're crawling around on the surface of this planet with them?

...I have no response to this

2009-01-25T00:19:00.004-07:00

My bangs have been too long for awhile. En serio. I've been pinning them back, a look I don't mind (shake it up a bit), but Katie and I just decided to trim them today. Maybe trim is the wrong word. Chop. That's the one I was looking for. Things may have gotten a touch out of hand. The result is that I now have to choose between:An attempt at my old style of bangs. Looks weird to me, and things aren't even (which could be fixed, if Katie or I decide to demonstrate anything resembling hair-cuttings skills).I call this style the "Girls with bangs that hang straight down" look. Creative, eh (once again, they're not even and we have issues. Deal)? I've always wanted to be stuff white people like. I might try this, going out on a limb, if I can look like naomi from rockstar diaries. Longshot. Unfortunately, this look also resembles the "Bonnie in Second Grade" look, which just doesn't do it for me. Or I could continue to pin it back for a couple weeks. My grandpa used to say the difference between a good and bad haircut was 3 days. I wish. And another washed out image of me with all hair pulled back instead of the ever-so-attractive-half-dry-and-not-remotely-straight locks previously pictured, because you know you love this. You know it. C'mon, you know it....maybe?.......dang.

So, go vote on what to do with my hair. Now. If I weren't lazy and tired (because of my first ever gym experience - more about this later), I'd set up an actual voting mechanism widget thingamagig in the sidebar. And now you're just thinking about what you're missing.

By the way, these aren't the only options. Shaving the head might just win out.

The Awesome, Amazing, Awe-inspring Ali!

2009-01-24T18:09:00.008-07:00

I have made an egregious error. Egregious, I tell ya. In my Christmas post, I was certain I had a picture of every single member of the family. I was wrong. Due to a series of unfortunate events involving Blogger hating me, an extraordinarily important member was omitted: the one, the only, Alison Joan (pronounced Jo-Anne). I am ashamed (name that movie). And here, to remedy the event, I present, not one, but many Ali pics. So, here she is, the queen of the hour, along with many reasons I love her.She has great style. Check out that scarf!A smile is always on her face.

She wears cool hats, both traditional...And un...She likes my husband even when he is strange and odd.Rebellious punk that she is, she makes funny faces and gives Laura bunny ears.
She's a fighter. You just try and get her to give up that bouquet.

Quite a compact little bundle, she fits into my great-grandmother's clothes. In addition, she doesn't protest when I call her funny nicknames, such as Als, Alsison, Ali-Jo, Ali-bug, Ali-boo, etc. She was happy for me when I got married and looked positively spiffing in her jacket. Way to upstage the bride, lil' sis.Her adorable hair. 'Nuff said.More of fashion sense and hair. That girl has style. Have I told you about how creative she is? She makes little artsy things and sells them. Crazy man, that's a marketable skill.Her Mischievous side is quite well developed (This is them decorating our "Just Married" car).She is generous and kind, even tagging along on the boring task of taking bridals. The veil looks nice, eh?A thoughtful gift-giver, she gave Adam and I a gourmet hot chocolate kit. And she sat by me all during Christmas. Thanks, sis.She is smart as a button, and looks great in pajamas.
I like her a lot.

Sorry, Als, I really didn't mean to leave you out.

Sheryl Crow and I are tight

2009-01-24T17:31:00.004-07:00

After reading an article on the Freakonomics blog about surviving a plane crash, they linked me to a survivor quiz. Apparently I'm a realist. "You know that life is hard so you face facts and do whatever is efficient and effective to achieve your goals." Sheryl Crow is also a realist. I don't particularly care for Sheryl Crow. I hope that doesn't affect my chances of survival. Apparently Colin Powell's Survival type is also realist. Hmmm. My favorite parts were the options that involved helping out other people (which I ignored) and the ones that suggested that God would save you. Not that I don't believe in God. Because I do. I also believe he wants you to figure things out for yourself. Because that makes sense.

I'm a scaredy-cat, among other things

2009-01-23T17:13:00.006-07:00

Before my famed blogging career began, I wondered how people did it. How do they open themselves up to the world, sharing the good with the bad, their highs and lows, the horrendous pictures next to the lovely ones. I admired their courage. I admired their honesty. So, in a moment of courage and honesty (heretofore undisplayed on this blog - I've been lying all along! *evil cackle*) I have a confession.

It's my husband's birthday today. My wonderful, amazing, perfect Adam's birthday.

...and I don't have a present for him.

In a few hours, I will post the glowing, congratulatory "You've reached two dozen years old!" post that Adam will roll his eyes at, but right now, I wallow in my lack of gift-giving skills.

It's not like I haven't thought about what to give him for weeks. Even before Christmas it loomed in the back of my mind (does that make sense? I think not, but it stays. *evil cackle*), the fact that less than a month later I would need another token of my wifely love. More presents.

I've never been good at it. I don't know how to give good gifts. It might be the procrastination. It might be the pressure to get something he'd like that I also thought about and shows my affection without being expensive or cheesy. It might be the lack of creative bones in me (econ major, hello). It might be the intimidation after the best gift ever, received by myself at Christmas. It could be a lot of things. That doesn't erase the facts.

I DON'T HAVE A PRESENT FOR MY HUSBAND ON HIS BIRTHDAY!

So here's the deal. I had one idea, but they're out of print. And I had another idea, and they're closed. I had two other ideas, and they were lame. And then there was that other idea, and the price tag didn't fit. And I had TWO other ideas that are now shipping to the apartment, but they're not HERE!

So...I don't have a gift. I'm going to go give it one more try. Wish me luck. And, any advice on how to give good gifts? What do you give your significant other?

On a side-note, it took me forever to make all the sizes look correct on this post. Why is that? Why are you buggy, Blogger?

And it STILL doesn't look right!