MarsCon and a Haircut

Before I had Aidan I did so many things. I was an avid volunteer starting from 8 grade on. I was always ready to go. I love going places. Gradually I have been going more and more places, but having a toddler in tow just doesn’t work out sometimes. I really wish I could find some volunteer work that I could bring Aidan along. I know it will have to wait a while.

But I have been attending more and more festivals. Aidan and I went to the 19th Annual Williamsburg MarCon last Saturday. It is a science fiction, space, fantasy conference.

Me and a Storm Trooper

Aidan trying to catch the mad scientists vapor bubbles.

Aidan dueling with an older boy. He kept telling him to give up. It ended in a draw. We spent most of our time at the lego table. Even though I didn't get to go to any games or programs I had a great time and so did Aidan.

Also last week I got my hair cut with bangs.

It has been some time since I had them but I like them.

Christmas

Aidan at Christmas.

The only thing he wanted was a Castle. So "Santa" brought him. "Santa" also spent about an hour putting the whole thing to together the night before.

Aidan making cookies for Santa.

Well after all the Christmas celebration I got sick. I was already tired and haven't got back into the groove of things, and now I have a cold. I still haven't unpacked from visiting my parents over Christmas. And my car is a mess. There is something about winter that just shuts me down.

I refuse to make resolutions in January becuase it simply doesn't fee like a new year to me. I feel new and refreshed when Spring comes around. That is my resolution time.

So I look to the new year with lots of great expectations. I will be in a new house soon and for the first time will get to decorate and paint the walls. I am very excited.

Happy New Year

A Nicer version of “Darn It".

So Aidan says “darn it”. Well, at least it sounds like “darn it” and I pray it is not “damn it”. It is still hard to tell. So gently I remind him not to say it just is case it is “damn it”.

Background: Aidan carries around match box cars almost everywhere he goes. His latest dilemma, he doesn’t have a toy man small enough to fit in one of his trucks.

This morning the topic came up again.

Aidan: “Momma I need a little man to fit in my car.”

Me: “I’m sorry Aidan I don’t think they make men small enough to fit.”

Aidan: “A man fits in my dump truck.”

Me: “The dump truck man is big. Your car is little. He doesn’t fit.”

Aidan looking at his car: “Oh Pickles!”

"Oh Pickles", I love it. He told me he heard it on a cartoon. I hope it sticks.

Home Sweet Almost Home

Well, my townhome is coming along. The target date for closing is still Feb 28, but it looks like a house now. Aidan and I stopped by on Thanksgiving morning, and workers were putting on the siding. My current living space is starting to burst at the seems. Sharing a bedroom with a three year old is starting to wear me down. Moving from 1 room to 1200 sf is going to be pure a luxury.


The upstairs windows you see are Aidan's. Below is a view from his bedroom. There are going to be dozens of other single family homes built to the treeline.

The clouds are so beautiful in this picture.

Christmas Gifts

So I have never really been an early Christmas gift shopper. Not that I wait to the last minute, but Nov, Dec shopping was usually my thing. Not this year. I started looking for presents months ago.

I have to admit I still engage in "shopping therapy" when I am down. But as I get older, I find I don't need anything. So as I would be walking thru a store trying to find anything I might remotely want, time after time I would leave empty handed.

So, I also have to admit I have this thing with trying to find the perfect item. Example, I needed a business card holder recently. Most people just go to Target or where ever and pick one up, no, no, not me. I spent maybe two weeks canvasing every store in Williamsburg and searching online. It is not a frantic search. I just slowly work a visit to different stores into my schedule. I used to just buy the cheapest. Then I started realizing my stuff wore out and most of it I just really didn't like. I did finally find one card holder that was perfect. And I fully expect to keep it until I die.

So what does this have to do with Christmas? Well, I just transfered my "perfect item shopping therapy" search to Christmas. Why didn't I start this years ago?

While I am on the theme of gifts, I wanted to pass on the website "Mama to Mama". I am going to make some newborn caps to be sent to Haiti. If anyone sews and has some unwanted t-shirts that need to be reused this is perfect.

http://www.soulemama.com/mama_to_mama/

Quote and Link for Tuesday

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
- Dr. Howard Thurman

Letter from mother to children on reasoning behind her Tuesday vote.

http://www.lawyermama.com/lawyermama/2008/11/a-letter-to-my.html

Music Search

I remember the first cd of music I ever received. It was my birthday. I was 16 years old and the album was the soundtrack from the “Bodyguard” from Whitney Houston.

Back then cds were an emerging technology. I remember talk about how they were indestructible. You could throw one across the room and it would survive, while that is true, I later found out they were easily scratched and ruined. Apart from that cd and a couple of music cassette tapes (my last cassette purchase Michael J. “Dangerous”) I really didn’t get into the music scene.

That means, I just listened the radio. What ever was playing I mindlessly listened to. In college my music horizons were broadened by my roommate Lindsey and college in general. But still I made no effort to obtain music or even get to know artist or album names.

But after during my divorce I got a myspace account and everything changed. With one click to an acquaintance’s page and I heard something different. A song by a little band from Texas, their name “Ghostland Observatory”, the song “Sad, Sad City”. Check it out here

I am not quite sure what happened to me. I had to buy the cd. They didn’t carry it in stores, so I had to search it out. Actually it isn’t hard with the internet. I hadn’t bought a cd in quite possibly 5-7 yrs. Actually at that point I don’t remember when I had last bought one.

Anyway, I then started searching out lesser know bands and popular ones for that matter. In this search I have found music to fit my mood, the weather, a feeling I want to remember, music in remembrance of far away friends or just music that made me feel good.

The latest cd I am waiting for is by Chairlift from New York.



So I may be behind in my music education, but I am catching up. I had been missing out for a long time.

"Bunny Rabbit"

Sometimes Aidan calls me “bunny” or “bunny rabbit”. I have heard his friends calling each other bunnies. I don’t know if it is good or bad in his mind, but I love it. So last night during our nightly bedtime reading Aidan says:

Aidan: “Bunny”

Me: “Bunny”

Aidan: “Momma, call me a dinosaur”

Me: “Okay, dinosaur”

Aidan: “Bad donkey”

Me: “What?!, Did you just call me a bad donkey”

Aidan: “Yes, donkey”

Needless to say I almost fell off the bed laughing. I think he had the whole exchange thought out before hand. Because, he was totally looking at me for a reaction when he said, “bad donkey”.

I think I have a jokester on my hands.

Aidan's 3rd Birthday Party

Aidan's 3rd Birthday was blast. I think everyone had a great time. The "Thomas the Train" cake turned out all right. I wasn't thrilled about the chocolate cake taste, but I don't think anyone suspected it was made out of entirely organic ingredients.

Now I just have to write thank you notes for all the gifts Aidan recieved. Aidan's party last year was so much work I totally neglected the thankyous. Yeah, I know my mother raised me better than that. No excuse's this year. I am writing them in the next couple of days.

I have so many things to write about

I really do. But they seem to be piling up. I have birthday pics and townhouse building pictures to post.

So they are all coming, stay tuned. Until then, for all you parents of young children here is a great parenting advice article that I read often.

Calm-Mom-5-Ways-to-Be-a-Present-Parent

I Still Love Mr. Rogers

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The Scottish Festival

Aidan and I went to a great Scottish Festival last Saturday. I had planned on staying maybe an hour, but we were there for almost five. My mother’s family is Scottish with the surname Buckalew. The Buckalews’ are a part of the Scott Clan. So Aidan and I spent along time at the Scott Clan tent and I learned so much.

We watched highland games including the caber toss. Not really a toss if you ask me.

Aidan and I spent the most time listening to the bands.

Albannach (AL-ban-ock),
Rathkeltair (rath-KELT-ur),
Barleyjuice
Poisoned Dwarf

All were really good. Aidan loved Albannach, they had really big drums. He sat on my shoulders and kept asking me to get closer.



So I am still vegetarian. I was scared for a while, every food sign I saw at the festival said, “Meat Pie”. It took some looking but I found something delicious.

Aidan’s birthday is coming up. I am having a party for him this Saturday. So that means I have to bake a cake Friday night. I am envisioning a ½ sheet with picture Thomas the Train. We will see how it goes. I haven’t decorated a cake is quite some time.

Wednesday Thoughts

Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. — Albert Einstein

Eating Healthy, Kind of

So I am still going strong. I did have a chocolate bar, 2 doughnuts and ice cream this weekend. It sounds like a lot after when you actually type it out. But, after two weeks with almost no sugar at all I guess I wanted to award myself. I truly believe in the theory of being addicted to sugar. After two weeks with not much at all I really didn’t have any cravings. But after having that first bite of chocolate I had cravings for like two days.

Today I am breaking it. I am not going dwell in the past. Today has been healthy eating all the way. So I am happy.

I haven’t admitted it to many people but I have been eating vegetarian for about a month. It has been great. Of course the few people who do know, of course ask, “what about protein?”. “I have to have protein”, they all say. Well I am proud to report. I eat too much protein. I have been checking in with the U.S.D.A “my pyramid” website. Every day for the last two weeks I am way over. So there.

I Can See Cleary Now

Well, I have been in a great mood lately. Very calm, and peaceful. For a while I was feeling either at the beginning of a journey or at the end. I couldn't quite tell which. Then it occured to me. For a long time now, (like almost 2 years) I have been reading every spiritual book out there, listening to spiritual podcasts, going to church, watching spiritual movies and just soaking up lots esoteric and metaphyical information. I even read about spiritual physics. Check out the movie “What the Bleep Do We Know”. Now I can’t explain every thing I have learned, but it has opened my eyes to a new world.

Before the peace, I was walking around with this “wanting” feeling inside. But, I couldn’t figure out what I was wanting. Did I need to buy something? I knew this wasn’t the answer, but none the less I pondered long and hard about what I could buy. Nothing ever came to mind. Maybe I just need to find another book or spiritual podcast. I had spent almost a year I would say listening and reading the inspirational guru Wayne Dyer. Did I need more? Maybe I needed to read a “New Earth” again, spend some time with some mindfulness exercises.

Then it occurred to me. I need to live it. I need live mindfulness not just read it. I need to live peace not just listen about it. So at least I have a plan.

Part of it is to get into a daily yoga practice. It always makes me feel peaceful and content. So I need to plan to get up earlier in the morning. Waking up early has always been one of my challenges.

Another part of the plan came about because of some health issues. The issues forced me to watch what I eat. You know more veggies less sugar. Now I feel great. I have an apple everyday and even the recommended number of vegetable servings. I have been mindful of my eating habits. I enjoy my food and concentrate on the nutrition of each. It is working out beautifully. And in taking care of myself I have lost some of that wanting.

Below is one of my favorite poems.

"Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

"I love you Mommy"

I don't know when this magical time started, but I love it. All of a sudden, Aidan is constantly telling me he loves me. As soon as he wakes, at quiet moments while we are driving in the car, and always at night. I am starting to rank of above his best friend in the world, Rambo. Rambo is the darker dog below. I don't know how long it will last, but for now it is wonderful.

Movin' on Up! Finally Got a Piece of the Pie

So last week I signed the contract with my townhome builder. Yippee. And last Thursday I went to my mortgage lender to lock in a rate. I am so excited to have a place of my own. And I just love the street name, "Peppers Point".


It is small by most peoples’ standards, but I have always been one for cubbie hole living. I lived in one room with my roommate Lindsey while in college, then moved into a small apartment with my ex-husband (600 sq). And now once again I live in one room with a roommate, my son. Let me tell you 3 yr boys don’t make the best roomies. No respect for privacy. ;-)

It will be glorious to have a kitchen, bathroom and my own room. The place is 2 beds and one bath and the total sq. feet equal 1,220. Sounds like a mansion to me. It even has a small back yard. That was really my only requirement. It is new construction so right now the move in date is Feb 28.

Susan and Aidan

While I am talking about roommates. I wanted to post a picture of my current roommate, Susan. She has been so wonderful. As I was breaking up with my ex-husband and wasn’t sure where I was going to live she graciously took Aidan and I in. Rent in Williamsburg in not cheap. During that time I didn’t have much money to live on and I don’t know what I would have done without her.

Also I miss my old roommate Lindsey. Love you Girl.

Monday Thoughts

Stillness is your essential nature.

What is stillness? - The inner space or awareness in which the words on this page are being perceived and become thoughts.

Without that awareness there would be no perception, no thoughts, no world.

You are that awareness disguised as a person.

-Eckhart Tolle

Back to the Grind

Well we are back in good ole Williamsburg. I love this place.

It wasn’t a relaxing Labor Day weekend, but Aidan and I had a great time. This was my first time to Myrtle Beach. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary for S.C., of course a couple of palm trees here and there. We went to the beach two days and Aidan actually went into the ocean! The surf was pretty rough because of Huricane Gustof so after a couple of times of getting salt water in his eyes he stayed on the beach.

We also drove go-carts and went to the aquarium and Aligator Adventure.

Yes, this is a live alligator.

The most relaxing part of the trip was the train ride home. We got on in Florence, SC and rode until Richmond, VA. I love taking the train, especially with a toddler. I don’t know if I will ever drive long distance again.

All Aboard!

This DVD player is a godsend. I actually got to set back, relax and listen to my ipod. I even closed my eyes! Yeah I look tired and in desperate need of a hair cut. Which thankfully I am getting today.


I am happy to get back into the groove of things. Work, daycare, work, some fun, back to work and dropping and picking up Aidan from daycare.

Labor Day Plans

Aidan and I are going on holiday this weekend to meet my ex-husband’s family for Labor Day. My wish is to get some sun, lie on the beach and read a book(s).

I have a chronic problem with checking out too many books from the library and not having enough time to read them. Sometimes I just lose interest in the middle of a book and start another. I finished the last book, “The Taoism of Pooh”. Now I am between Wayne Dyer’s “There is a Spiritual Solution for Everything and “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle. You would think since I haven’t finished these books I wouldn’t have started another, but I did, “The Taoism of Willie Nelson.” Yeah I know what you are thinking, a lot of spiritual books. We will have to that discuss that later.

So, we are driving down with Aidan’s great aunt and uncle to Myrtle Beach on Friday and then taking a train back to Richmond on Tuesday. Of course Aidan is more excited about the train than the beach. Pretty normal for his age I guess. I can’t believe he will be three soon. Only 2 months until October 18.

But let me go back a little. Here is a picture of Aidan when he was a cuddly baby. He still cuddles I just have to bribe him with chocolate milk now.