Resolution.

Less than 8 hours remain in 2010.

That blows my mind...I still remember last year's New Year's Eve potluck at work as if it were yesterday. Because of my new weekends-only status at work, I'm now mandated to work every holiday that falls on a weekend, so that is where I shall be once again. Matt has elected to stay in with Paige, and tomorrow we will all celebrate 2011, and hopefully a Spartan victory, as we watch the Capital One Bowl with good friends.

2010 was both a blur and a blessing. We've experienced love, friendship, loss, growth, tears, and, certainly, laughter. And grace...so much grace, which spurs me onto 2011 with faith and excitement for what's ahead.

My first resolution? 

This darn blog! I so love blogging, but for some reason the task of catching up in a way that will document Paige effectively is so daunting, I continue to put it off...which makes the task bigger...oh that vicious circle. In fact, I don't even have any holiday pics loaded onto my computer yet...good thing I have one week of vacation left before the new semester starts!

Second resolution (but probably most important): 

Actually show the gratitude I feel for those who touch my life--all the time, not just think of a cool way to do & then never follow through.

Third: 

Potty Training (post edit: for Paige, not myself!).

Matt, Paige, and I are so very blessed to have friends and family who care so much for us. We wish you nothing but the best for 2011, and hope you will cherish it for the gift that it is. Happy New Year!

Breaking News

So how's about we really mix things up and do a little of the present before the recent past...it's so much crazier and disorganized more fun that way. Plus this is just too exciting to wait. Look!

Paige's mini-mullet can now be pulled into a ponytail! She's pretty thrilled...

 Okay, maybe it's just me.

And you probably thought I was going to announce that she's potty-trained...wishful thinking.

AAAAAAnd We're Back

No, this isn't the first time I've left the blog blogless for an extended period of time. Yes, I've said in the past that I wouldn't slack off on the blog. But this is also the first time that no one has bugged me about it...because most of my friends & family realize crazy busy I am with school/work/life right now...or they've just given up and stopped looking. I tell myself the former.

As if I wasn't feeling enough Mommy Guilt from missing out on time with Paige for scholarly reasons, I have also skipped out on blogging her 2nd birthday. I will get to that, as well as our U.P. vacation, our kitchen reno, Josh & Popy's homecoming & American wedding...oh boy. Oh yeah, I guess I had a birthday too (but I'm old now, so it doesn't count!), and let's just add Halloween now that I'm editing for the 5th time.

So let's start where I left off...promising a recap of the U.P. vacation. This happened a mere 3 months ago...

The Parrotts packed up and drove to Houghton. Paige's 2nd annual trip...maybe she'll end up going to Tech? We had such a great visit with our dear friend, and Paige's biggest fan, Mary Ellen, aka GrandMary Ellen.

Then we kept on the next day to the tippy top of the state, the Keewenaw Peninsula, to stay in yurts at the base of Mt. Bohemia, and cheer on our friend Brad in a half Ironman in Lac La Belle...we'll likely be cheering Matt on next year.

Also to get more tasty treats at Jampot, admire the mighty Lake Superior, and be blown away (almost literally) once again by the view on Brockway Mountain.Yes, that's her real hair folks.

The National Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame was the perfect spot for a pit stop on the way back where Paige could run around...and oh the photo ops:

 I do wish we'd had enough time to swing south to Escanaba & Gladstone, where Matt's Uncle Jim & Aunt Lorna live, as well as Kevin, Linnea, & Laurel. We cruised back to Mackinaw City, racing a nasty storm & winds to make it over the bridge, where we leisurely enjoyed the last day of vacation...

Josh & Popy had missed their connection from Chicago the week before, thanks to some not-so-friendly-or-efficient customs officers (who were Russian...how does that work???), so we did not get to see them when they first came home. We met Popy for the first time (PEP met both for the first time) at Mom & Dad B's house, on our return from the U.P. 

  

We didn't talk a lot, since all of us were in travel recovery mode, but felt like family just the same. More on that later. But not TOO later. Really!

Looking Back: September

September brought changes 'round here...

Paige and her "big girl" bed

Josh & Popy's American wedding
Matt's 2nd and 3rd triathlons

Paige's second birthday

And, speaking of seconds, my second year of grad school.

Paige has been hit or miss with staying in bed. She has a safety rail nearly as long as the bed itself, which means she can get out, but needs help getting back in. Now if she gets up, she more easily guided back to bed, or gets up close enough to our own "acceptable" waking time that we let her snuggle in...playing with fire? Maybe. We like to live dangerously.

Josh & Popy's "American wedding" (doesn't that sound like a movie title?) was decided to happen just 2 weeks before we pulled the thing off--on Labor Day weekend. I don't have a lot of pictures from it, but I'd say it was pretty great considering the time we had to do it! Mom & Popy even found her lovely dress--and they altered it--in that time! Yes, it can be done.

( I stood in that same spot 7 years prior...ah memories!)

(It was all downhill from here...well, for Paige)

There was a brief vow renewal ceremony at my parents' church, then a reception in my parents' front yard. Dad and Matt even pulled off doing most of the cooking, while Mom & her friends did sides! I did decorations...I didn't get to do everything I wanted, but loved making Martha's flowers in white and light blue, and put my ridiculously large collection of mason jars to work by adding white candles. Sadly, I have almost no pictures. Being a preparer/bridesmaid/mother-of-the-tired-and-angry-flowergirl (do yourself a favor and don't have 2-year-olds in your wedding, they don't get naps on the big day!) kept me away from my camera most of the time. It was also unusually cold that weekend, but everyone seemed to have a great time!

Matt's triathlons rocked. The first was Labor Day weekend, an adventure tri in Cadillac consisting of a 5K run, 15 mile bike, and 2 mile kayak. He was 3rd in his age group. The next one was a biggie, the Reeds Lake Tri. He was so nervous that he didn't even register until the day before...putting him in the same heat as the pros/elites! But he did AMAZING, not only breaking his time, but beating some of his friends, and nearly beating The Brad! I'm SO proud of him! 

And, of course, my camera batteries died as I tried to snap the first pic of Matt getting out of the water, so the only picture I have from the race is this one of his legs of steel in transition from swim to bike, taken with my iPhone. I replenished my batteries when I went back to the house to pick up PEP, but the punk had already finished by the time we returned, he was just that fast.

Paige's birthday requires it's own post. I mean, that's the way I would do it if I'd done it the way a good mommy would, right? Fake it 'til ya make it!

We've Been UP to a few things.

Quite a few things, actually!

So much to say...but so little sleep to be had. Will post about our travels and other goings-on soon...pinky swear.

Sweet Home Chicago

Well, not our home...but the suburbs have been home to our friends Joe & Nora for a couple years now. We just made our first visit to them!
We had such a great time. Paige did an amazing job traveling...especially when we unexpectedly got stuck in traffic for an hour and a half (turning 3 hours in a car seat into nearly 5, bless her heart). She even compromised for swimming in the bathtub at the hotel we stayed one night in when we found out the pool was part of a gym and didn't allow kids (really??).

Joe is a college chemistry professor. Nora is a veterinarian. Together they are pregnant with what is sure to be the smartest, funnest, most adventuresome boy ever...and we couldn't be more excited for them! We didn't get to spend as much time with Nora as we would have liked since she had to work at her busy clinic (and we don't know how to plan a trip more than a month ahead of time), but I'm looking forward to the baby shower. She's decorating the nursery with her favorite animal...sea turtles...I'm scouring the Interwebs for cool gifts!

(Unfortunately this was the only pic I got of both of them...Paige is boxing their dinner for them at Weber Grill restaurant. She does that.)

 Paige made sure to give them some toddler experience...chasing their cats, throwing food to the dog, pulling every book from the bookcase, and running. Always running (or going up/down/up/down the stairs). And begging Joe to hold her hand or carry her...but wait a minute, you never did get that diaper-changing experience, did you Joe? 

 We also introduced Joe, his sister, and her boyfriend Justin to the awesomeness that is Yo Gabba Gabba.

Pep's current fave is Foofa, with Toodee a close second.

Joe made us an excellent dinner and introduced us to some of their local favorites. Paige couldn't wait for dinner, so she ate an entire tomato, like an apple.

We checked out Harper College, where Joe teaches Organic Chemistry. Pep might collaborate on a few experiments soon.

  Then we were on to the Chicago Botanic Gardens...I never knew such a great place existed! We highly recommend it! Admission is free (parking is $20, but we had 6 people in our car). Over 2 hours and we still hadn't seen it all. Plus it's the perfect place for letting peppy toddlers run free(ish). Observe:

Yes, that is one happy girl who slept GREAT that night. Plan on seeing this picture at Paige's graduation open house with a senior picture in the same pose right next to it.

Sunday I got my IKEA fix (thanks for humoring me, everybody) and then on to the Brookfield Zoo. The African exhibits were wonderful...Paige has been stretching her neck like a giraffe and pointing her finger from her nose and yelling "wino!" (rhino) since we got back.

A few tips: if you do go to Brookfield, do yourself a favor...pack a cooler, go early (on a weekday if possible), and secure a map early on...also look for coupons toward admission!

Thanks Joe & Nora! We're looking forward to the next trip--and meeting baby!

I Guess It's a Good Time For It...

The 24-hour-stomach-flu is rotating through the Parrott household this week. I came home from work feeling (and looking) green Tuesday morning, but was well enough to make it to my next night of work on Wednesday. Paige stayed at Grandma & Grandpa's Wednesday night, but she was sick Thursday afternoon. But it has been unbearably hot here in the (aptly named) Mitten, so I suppose it's just as well that we've been holing up in the air conditioning...which I am SO very thankful for. 

That's all I have to say for now...I suppose I should post about 4th of July sometime soon! Hopefully we'll be back outside this weekend, doing some of this:

and this too:

(sorry, poor picture quality once again...this is what often happens when I use the nice camera with the dangly lens cap:)

I'm a Loser Baby

(now doesn't that bring back memories of high school? You know, when Beck first made the radio scene? Or your funny mom singing it at funny yet awkward times, like the way she uses "schwing" from Wayne's World without really knowing what it means? No? Just me? Okay, nevermind.)

Tomorrow is my final weigh-in. I'm in an unofficial "Biggest Loser" weight loss contest. For most of the past 10 weeks, I've been in 3rd or 4th place...but now I'm barely hanging on to 5th.  I haven't weighed in for a few weeks, so I'm hoping I've made up for it, but I'm not so sure! The woman in charge made us sign contracts acknowledging that healthy weight loss is only 2-3 lbs. per week. That being said, the 2 top losers have lost so much (most in the first 2 weeks) that it would require me to amputate a limb. 

Oh well, all I know is that I feel great and I've lost enough (around 20 lbs) to feel more confident AND I've had to buy new, smaller scrubs for work! Just wait until I show 'em all in the fall contest...by then I'll be too busy to eat.

 

Running around to keep up with this yayhoo helps (as you can see, she's medaled in crazy). Oh, and her t-shirt is from here.

Independence of Another Sort

This child is going to be keeping us busy for quite some time...anyone know of a place that offers rockclimbing classes for toddlers??

Happy 4th of July! Thank you to the many who have served our country or continue to do so in order to protect the freedom we celebrate today!

We'll be at Sandy Pines, soaking up some sun, waves, and fireworks. Oh, and the golf cart parade, of course.

Because I've waited to share this story far too long.

I've wanted to write this post for so very long, practically a year since I've been glowing with pride and telling the world about yet another wonderful thing about this guy:

(on the pier in Frankfort on our wedding anniversary...8.9.09)

And what better day than Father's Day? So here's the dish on all things wonderful about Paige's daddy, Mr. Parrott.

I don't know if you've noticed through pictures, or the stories shared since we started this blog, but a major transformation has occurred in the Parrott household. Since early 2009, Matt has lost an entire person's worth of weight. Actually, he lost it in far less than a year. No joke. No gimmicks. All diet and exercise. He started out huffing through one mile, and one year later was running the biggest 25K in the country. That's 15.5 miles, folks! He'll likely run a marathon, if he decides it's not "too boring", but right now he is training for his first triathlon, which will occur at the end of the summer (it won't surprise me if he does one sooner). He has been such an inspiration to me, motivating me to do things I never thought I could ever do (like run more than a block). I've finally been losing weight too, and we continue to [usually] make healthy choices as a family (not gonna lie, the word "pizza!" is heard from Paige's lips at least daily).

Matty has done things that most men don't always consider. When Paige was 6 weeks old and the staffing company he worked for went defunct, Matt kept his youth job at church, but took on the most important job of all: staying at home with our daughter so we would not have to send her to daycare. The two of them have "systems" that are special to them and make me smile when I get to witness them (example: today the three of us we went to Lowe's and Paige fought me when I tried to put her in the cart. "Not at Lowe's", said Matt, "only at Lowe's, Paige helps push the cart", as Paige swiftly assumed her position behind the cart, dutifully pushing from the back as Matt held on to one side of the cart handle and steered).

I know that more dads than ever are staying at home part or full time, but the stigma still remains...why? I mean, Paige is always with one or both of her parents every day. She will likely grow to have a wonderful relationship with her father that many kids will never know is possible. 

Matty is my support, my stronghold, and my sanity. He is our daughter's protector, teacher, and coach. I just cannot stop being amazed by him. God has blessed Paige and I with so much in our husband and daddy.

Happy Father's Day to all of you, but especially to my own dad, my dad-in-law, and of course, my Matty.

Memorial Memories

My feeble brain is storing our camping trip over Memorial Day weekend...I actually forgot to bring my camera! I have very few that I managed to snap with my iPhone.

To compare last year's church Family Camp trip to Albright Camp with this year's is a lesson is how quickly children grow. I think Paige aged by light-years over the weekend, with all the talking, playing and running (away down the hill) that she did with the other kids! And the dirt...oh wow.

(

(photo by Sandy O.)

 

Even if I had my camera, I don't know that I would have had many pics, since we were so very active, doing things that don't accomodate a camera OR an iPhone...

Canoeing. Swimming. Kayaking. Biking. Coloring. Cooking. Geocaching on the bridge (okay, that actually required the iPhone, but we were so busy searching that we never thought to take a picture...plus we never found it). Running (the 1st annual Family Camp 5K by Brad & Matt). Chasing. More chasing. Campfires. Ice cream. Potlucking. Playing cards. Napping. Sidewalk chalking. Singing. Worshipping. Being together.

Oh yeah, and how could I forget playing in dog water, the favorite activity of B & Pep?

Oh, these girls...it was so blazin' hot all weekend, so who could blame them when they found a big yellow storage case full of water, which was intended for Brad & Jen's dogs, Remington & Winchester...

I love this family tradition that we are creating!

A Lot of Crazy for a Little Weekend.

Last weekend we went up to my parents' place for an overnighter. A short visit, but worth it...just enough time to have a birthday lunch for my Auntie Max (85 years old, Happy Birthday!), and spend some quality time with Mom before her surgery, hittin' the thrift stores. I finally found the perfect frame for a beautiful print I bought on Etsy a while back...just needs a good spray-paintin'. 

Matt went with my dad to an estate sale auction...which turned out to be a lotta junk. The PEPpy one ran and ran and ran outside before dinner Saturday, going around the house a few times and spanning every square foot of deck, grass, and garden. Being the great imitator that she is, she also did a lot of pointing and yelling at the dogs in her sternest (funniest) tone...someone has been hanging out with Grandma a bit too much! Paige also spent some time playing the old upright piano I learned to play on.

She played for Josh's old toy dinosaur...

...then played with the dinosaur...














Mom's arm surgery went well, but there was more scar tissue than expected, so it will take a bit longer to heal. This is the same procedure(s) she had done on the left arm last year, to repair carpal and cubital (upper arm) tunnel syndromes. Prayers for a speedy recovery would be welcome. I'm glad we got up there so she could get some pre-op Paige time...no lifting for a while!

Now we are scrambling like crazy toward this next weekend...Memorial Day weekend. Our church has a family camping trip, to Camp Albright, and this year is huge. Like over 90 people huge (maybe not so huge to some of you, but last year was maybe 40). We haven't packed a thing, still have some shopping to do, and I'm trying to finish up my homework. Yikes!

We've decided to use our tent this year, and even take Paige canoeing with us in the Hersey River. Doesn't she look ready?

Have a great weekend, y'all!