BB's Christmas Hat

It's all fun and games until you make him wear something furry on his head.  Exhibit A: Halloween. The very sad lion. I'll get him to be content in a silly hat or costume one day. He's made it my main goal in life.

Tattoo Round II

Yesterday I went in for my second tattoo session.  I thought it was going to be the final but with all of the colors he used on the lion (colors on top of colors on top of colors) the artist was afraid that it would get too muddled.  There's a chance, for instance, that the green pigment of the leaves would smear into the yellow in the lion's mane.  So, we stopped.  It was a quick two hours and I'm back in on January 3rd to finish.  I never anticipated having a three-session tattoo.  But I do love it and I'm not as shocked or giddy about this (very large) piece as I have been with all my previous, little tattoos.  Isn't that weird?  I think it's because I thought very long and very hard about getting this tattoo.  I was planning on telling you the full story, had it been completed, but you'll have to wait 6 more weeks!  In the meantime, why don't you share your tattoo stories with us and the world!?  CLICK HERE for our tattoo story link-up!

Photo by Dan

Photo by Dan

Recently Instagrammed

This is our past week in Instagrams!  We had a great Thanksgiving, even though we were a little under the weather (and even though I dislike Thanksgiving).  Our flight from Nashville got in really late and we drove to my mom's and fell asleep around 2am.  BB was so happy to see us the next morning and it was so fun!  We watched [about 20 minutes of] his first Christmas movie, The Polar Express!  Then, we went to my grandparents house and enjoyed all the Thanksgiving foods but not until BB had a supreme meltdown.  Cutting molars?  Scared we were going to leave him there?  Too many people?  Too tired?  I have no idea.  But we let him throw his fit in the TV room and then he proceeded to play with Ellie, my cousin's 9-month-old daughter, all night.  They were super cute together!

We came home and we were sick for a while, still are.  So, the Christmas decorations are being put up very slowly.  We opted for the fake tree (which we haven't used the past two years) because we thought it would be safer and easier with a toddler in the home.  I will also be using all the cheap, plastic ornaments should anything happen.  In my mind, I picture BB climbing the tree and/or pulling the garland down and pretty much ruining Christmas.  So, I'm doing my best to ensure this doesn't happen. 

He's so enamored by the lights.  (Who isn't?)  Christmas with a baby will be so fun!

Watching The Polar Express at Granna's house.

Crawling around grandpa's room.

BB and Ellie.

Our adorable helper!

Starting to decorate.

In awe!

We got BB a stocking to match ours (Sort-of!)

Nashville

We went to Nashville last week!  Dan was finishing a tour and the rest of the band flew home.  My little sister moved there a couple months ago so we got to stay with her.  It was the perfect opportunity for a cheap, mini- vacation!  

We absolutely loved it.  It was sunny and warm and not lacking in activities.  There is live music everywhere!  There's new buildings mixed in with really, really old buildings.  The people are friendly and so welcoming.  Where we live, there are people who hate Tacoma (to whom I say, "then leave"), people who tolerate Tacoma, and people who choose to like Tacoma, and then there is a subculture of people who LOVE Tacoma.  But, in Nashville, seems like everyone is in LOVE with their city.  And that was refreshing.

My sister, Karli, was busy with a new job so we got to explore the city on our own and also catch up with some friends.  Dan knows a ton of people in Nashville already, through the music scene, and we met up with some of them.  I have a friend from high school, Justin Klump, who just moved there with his wife and put out his new album, Sticks and Stones, which debuted at #9 on the iTunes charts!  You can get it on iTunes (obviously) or go to his site for a free download: HERE!  I also got to meet my fellow Road Widows, Denise and Chris, in person!  It was so great!  We didn't talk about the blog much but we all stated we had some ideas for its future.  Have you checked out Road Widows?  It's a blog for "a person whose spouse or significant other is a touring musician, crew member or artist. Sometimes irrational and emotional, but always supportive."  If that's you, check it out!  

A Nashville Playlist just for YOU!

Barista Parlor, East Nashville.  519 B Gallatin Rd.

The Road Widows:  Nise, Chris, and I at The Pharmacy Burger, 731 McFerrin Ave. Photo by: A waitress.

Crema Coffee, 15 Hermitage Avenue.

A beautiful sunset at Sylvan Park.

Dan is standing in the Tennesee Titans parking lot, as we walked from East Nash to downtown (Crema).

Travel Bug

I must have some sort of annual clock.  This time of year I start missing France because it was this time of year, in 2006, that we moved there.  It was also two years ago at this time that I visited New York with my best friend, Sara.  I'm missing New York and France so badly.  Is that weird?  I hope this little trip to Nashville will satiate my travel bug.  And if not, better start saving....

I'm Getting the Heck Out of Here

The last time I wrote about travel was in September when BB and I rode the Crystal Mountain gondola.   And before that was our trip to visit family in Chicago - in JULY!  Needless to say, I was getting  desperate for a trip.  Good news!  I'm crossing #4 off of my 30 before 30 list!  I am going to Nashville!  I am so excited to explore the city, hang out with my little sister, and meet Nise and Chris - my cohorts over at RoadWidows.com!  And, yes, I will be on the lookout for Amy Grant, Taylor Swift and Kings of Leon.  Duh.

I am really missing Dan.  He's finishing up a tour in Nashville so we only had to pay for my ticket and he and I will be flying home together.  We are leaving the babe behind, mostly because the only flights I could find were at 6am or overnight red-eyes out of Los Angeles.  No, thank you.  So, I am bawling about leaving BB but I am also most excited to have a baby-free trip in which we will sleep in late and go to movies and all the things we haven't done in many months.

Magic Drawer

BB is in a major sensory stage.  He loves to touch everything and he loves to explore.  We have a drawer in our kitchen that had some napkins in it and he, of course, figured out how to open it and throw napkins all over the kitchen.  So, I made him a sensory drawer that we're calling the Magic Drawer!  I got some extra large pipe cleaners and spongy letters and numbers from a dollar store, collected all of his tiny toys, made a noisemaker out of dry beans in a snack container, as well as some random "junk".  He was so happy when he found it and I got to make dinner uninterrupted while he played happily just a few feet away.  Everyone wins!

A few weeks ago, I asked you all for some fun, indoor activities for an active boy.  Thank you for all your ideas, by the way!  We've been having lots of fun with water tables and banging pots and pans! I have been researching toddler activities and came across Hands on As We Grow, a blog committed to hands-on learning activities ages 0 - 5!  

The idea for the Magic Drawer came when I realized that BB prefers non-toys over toys. This summer, BB was all about the garden hose and his favorite "toy" of all time is a Home Depot paint stick.  He's also a fan of boxes, clothes pins and plastic Easter eggs.  I dont want to deny this child of toys but I also don't want to spend a fortune on things that never get used. We have many parent-friends who lament over buying their children expensive things when all they want to play with is junk.  That's where the Magic Drawer comes in.  Dollar Store items, things you find around the house, anything can be thrown into the Magic Drawer and keep your kiddo happy and learning.  He thinks he's exploring but you're in control of what's in there so you know he's safe.  Again, everyone wins!

Have a happy weekend!  XOXO, Lindsy

Some of the non-toys that BB loves.

Feeding Himself

Sigh.

How Much is Too Much?

The other night, I was stuffing my face with a "Dirty Burger" from DOA and gabbing with Ruthy, Libby, and Mandy about all kinds of things.  The conversation, naturally, went to blogging and we talked about how much to share about our private lives, specifically our children.  There have been some recent incidents of stolen photos, blogs changing names or going private, mean comments and stalking.  That is some totally real and very scary stuff.  In general, I try not to have irrational thoughts about my safety.  The chances of getting mugged, murdered or stalked are very slim.  However, it does happen.  It was my choice not to share BB's name on the internet.  I've taken our business off of Google apps, which is hurting our business, but I don't want anyone finding our address.  I'm careful to share when Dan is out on tour and when we travel.

I struggle with how much I should share about our kiddo, how many photos to post.  I share about him because I am in love with him and he is my whole world!  (PLUS! He's an infant who needs our full-time attention, thus, there's not much else going on in my life).  There are certain things, legal things, which I cannot share about "BB" and there are certain things we chose not share about him.  Do we really live in a world where we need to watermark all of our photos?  Perhaps we do.  And that is a sad, sad thing.

Election Response and a Challenge

I am turning 30 next summer so I made a "30 before 30" list the day before I turned 29. #21 was "Make an informed vote this November".  Seriously, what was I thinking?  This political season has been overwhelming.  I read the news articles, the "for" and "against" statements, I submitted a letter to the editor, I watched the debates, campaigned to reject a local proposition, and read the ENTIRE voter's pamphlet (I am convinced that most voters have their minds made up before they get the pamphlet.)  As I see the results pouring in, I am shocked and disappointed and happy all at the same time.

To quote our dear friend, Alex, "can one person really make a difference?".  These same sentiments are reflected in Switchfoot frontman, Jon Foreman's, article in AP Magazine which was published the day before the election:

Every day our sensationalist media spit out new reasons as to why we should be afraid. We look to the political system for solutions, for leadership, for hope. But let's not forget that these politicians are only human. After all, could one man save us from our financial crisis? Could one man change the discretionary spending and saving patterns of millions of individuals and corporations around the globe? ... The fact is, it's not just the corporations who are greedy; we're all overcommitted ... Every day you cast your ballot—with your time, with your money and with your actions. You vote for the president once every four years. But what about the 1,460 days in between?

Foreman goes on to say that YOU are America, YOU are democracy and YOU have the power to make this country what it should be.  Beautiful, inspiring, and scary words.

I pledged today that I want to do my part to make America great.  I want to focus on #8 of my "30 before 30" list:  Do some local mission work.  It's not the government's job to feed the hungry.  It's my job.  Whether all your votes passed or whether they all failed - it really doesn't matter.  We have a responsibility to each other.  We might be on a tight budget but this morning I frivolously spent $40 on groceries that I could easily share.  I am so inspired by Carina's Baking it to the Streets and I want to copy her. She wants YOU to copy her!  So, do it.  Make a difference.

In the over-used but significant words of Gandhi:  "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

Turn that Frown Upside Down

On Saturday, at the PNW Blogger Meet Up, I gave away about 20 business cards with the URL dontknowhowtorelax.com on it!  Then on Sunday, I found out that the URL expired a while ago - even though I am certain I updated my billing information - and they very kindly just let me use it for free... until now.  I spent some time googling, whining and calling Go Daddy, screaming at Dan (sorry, babe) and pulling my hair out - almost literally.  This was not how I wanted to spend my Sunday.  I found out today they want nearly $100 to reinstate a this URL that I dont even really like.

I had to get out of the house and I'm so glad we did!  Once BB was up from his nap, we grabbed the stroller and headed down to the waterfront for a stroll on an unusually warm and sunny November afternoon.

The light, the mood, the ambience... it was all perfect.  We had the beach to ourselves and we took the most magical photos and we just lived in the moment.  Who cares about a blog URL?  Who cares if some of the bloggers I met on Saturday never find my blog?  That's not the type of person I want to be, one who spends a Sunday afternoon inside on the computer, fretting about domain names.

So, if you're here as a new visitor, welcome and congratulations on finding us!