Good me v Bad me

I dream about living in the woods. Just myself and my family. I'll work a full time job to furnish heath care to the family. Rich can have his workshop where he does specialty timber-frame jobs and makes beautiful furniture. The kind with the animal feet.

We will live off the land. Have a lavish garden, two moo cows, a goat and some chickens. And a few apple trees. I'll make our clothes out of old curtains and miscellaneous fabrics. I know it would feel so good provide for ourselves. Work in the garden to enjoy tasting the reward of your time. We'll cook every night and have a family dinner. Always composting. No TV. Living a frugal life and minimizing our global footprint. And we'll have a few trails on the property.

I like living Charlotte. Shopping is fun. I love socializing with friends and family. Beer's are good and so is being on the dance floor. I like running on the sidewalks. It is convenient to have three targets and five grocery stores with in 5 miles of my house. And a 100 restaurants, every food genre you want is a step out the door. I like dressing up, wearing heels and feeling sexy. It's fun to spend money and have nice things.

I'm having trouble finding the median.

Growing Up

Nolan is now a little over two. It is crazy how time goes by so quickly. It seems like just a few months ago I was giving him baths in his tiny, blue baby bathtub, resting in the kitchen sink! Once, I had taken Nolan's diaper off in the bedroom and walked him in the kitchen, and I hear a sound of something hitting the wall... Well, it was Nolan's pee-pee spraying against the wall!!! A big stream. Across a photograph on the wall, our dinner trays.. I learned my lesson.

Now, Nolan is running around the yard, getting "boo-boo's" then demanding we put a "ban-aid" on the barely-there scrape or strawberry. Sometimes I give in because it is needed. but most of the time I resist, explaining one is not necessary.

He calls for Rich, without saying "Daaad" but instead exclaming "Rich, Rich! Rich Reif!" I MUST start referring to Rich as Dad...

Nolan and his cousin Keely are the best of friends.. Nolan is always asking to go to "Kee-Kee's house."

Oh how time does fly...

Feist and Others..

I was browsing iTunes for music when I came across Feist. There were soooo many days while Rich was at work and Nolan was just a tiny, tiny newborn and he would cry, and all I had to do was put on Feist, "My Moon, My Man" and he would drift off to sleep. I would sing that song over and over, and I don't know why, but it just soothed him to sleep. He also liked, Billie Holliday, "Our Love is Here to Stay." That is the song Rich and I had our first dance to after we got married :) There is one more song I remember in particular, Jolie Holland's "Do You?" These are all random songs I happened to be into at the time Nolan was born, but somehow or another they helped soothe my sweet Nolan off to sleep :)

Lazy 5 Ranch

Gigi and Papa had a brilliant idea to take Nolan to a drive through zoo called Lazy5 Ranch. Rich and I were lucky enough to be invited. It was unlike anything I have ever been to as an adult.

A group of about 20 other adults and children stepped up onto a wagon.. yes, a wagon, pulled by two horses. There were quart size buckets filled with feed which the animals would gallop toward. We were not allowed to get off the wagon to feed the animals or allowed to feed the ostrich with our hands. I even had several reports of ostrich bites from friends.

The ride was about an hour long, and after around 20 mintues Nolan started to become okay with the idea that animals were running full speed at us, as long as they stopped, and ate peacefully.

They have a random variety of animals at the ranch. My favorite was this giant cow. I don't know what kind of cow it was, but it was the size of a small army tank. Really. Nolan liked the giraffes, kangaroos, and camels.

Working!

So, I found a job! I'm working at a bank as a teller and as a retail banker. I really like it! Everyone at my location is so great, helpful and patient while I learn. I am almost finished with my first month. I have learned SO much, but there is SO much more to learn and I am constantly asking questions. This is the first time I've had a job in over two years.

I have missed Nolan! My shifts now are late afternoon into night, so I usually miss his bedtime five days a week. When I wake up with him in the morning, I just want to exclaim, "You grew an inch last night!" His facial features are also traning. He is such a toddler.. no baby anymore! He is also through with his passie (thank goodness)!

Nolan is allllll about dad right now too. Anything dad does Nolan wants to be right there. I'll tell Nolan I'm going to get him milk, give him a bath, change his diaper, etc. and he says. "No, Daddy do it!" I'm like REALLY? haha. Well I guess I was the one he mostly wanted for the first two years of his life.. so I guess dad can have a turn ;)

Today, Aunt Winter asked Nolan if he was a baby and he said, "No, I'm Nolan." I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but I just want to remember some of the cute things he says! We're having fun on rides in my car right now, because my radio died! At first I was like, ahhh bummer. But, it has ended up being good for Nolan and myself. We name the colors of the cars, talk about the different trees and the colors they are blooming. We name the trucks: dump trucks, cement trucks "big" trucks. He is SO into trucks and planes. We're living near the airport so we see lots of planes too.

All in all my baby is growing SO MUCH. I am so blessed to have a darling, healthy boy and a caring, supporting (and hot) husband!

Oh Nolan...

Oh Nolan, how you have grown and changed and you are saying everything now!! I don't want to forget this time in your life because it is so exciting. You are changing everyday.

After your second birthday you just took off talking. You can say everything now! You repeat everything we say. You recognize every picture in books.. and if you happen to not know one, you demand I tell you! You know all your colors, pronounced: ed, puple, buu, geen, orange, ink, yeawo, etc. I love to hear you say them. You can say every letter in the alphabet! You are so great at puzzles. Tractors and trucks are by far your favorite things. You had a John Deer cake for your 2nd Birthday.

My favorite thing right now, is when I say, "Do you want mommy to hold you?" You pick up my arm and say "Hold you, Hold you" and put my arm over your tummy. You are such a cuddle bunny. Your dad always wants you to sleep with us!!

I love you babys!

Yoga Tonight

I decided to go to yoga tonight to unwind after a busy day. I usually don't take the time to enjoy the few minutes of relaxation and visualization at the end. Well, I did tonight and I was brought to tears. I wasn't sobbing or anything, but tears were just rolling down my cheeks as I lay there on my back. Reminiscent crying you could call it.

I went back to when our family lived in the mountains and we had Josh, the dog. We would go on our nightly hike to the gorgeous Todd Park a few miles down the road. We would cut through the overgrown weeds to the river and skip stones. Rich even mastered skipping with Nolan in the baby bjorn. Rich would always hit the rock sticking out of the water about 20 feet away. I hit it once!! And, Josh would wade knee high in the water, his nose taking in the clean mountain breeze. I pictured Josh running around in the tall grassy field, just enjoying life.

It was just such a great time in my life. So happy. Nolan was still a baby, and always content outside. If he was screaming inside and I stepped outside, he was immediately calm. I wonder if it's because I walked a mile everyday when I was pregnant. He was comforted by the silence of the mountains and the birds chirping, perhaps?

I am so thankful for those memories. I know we have many more to make :)