It's amazing how far technology has come.

As a little kid, technology wasn't a dominant force in my house. Yeah, we had a computer [I think it ran DOS...], and we had a Nintendo and Sega, but that was it. My sister and I spent most of our time outside or reading. It was hard to imagine a world past DOS, VCRs and landlines.

But now...man. A good 25 years later, and things have changed so much. There's WiFi, Smartphones, iPads and everything in between. When my world once revolved around face-to-face interaction, we now have Twitter and Facebook. Text messaging was the "new thing" when I was in high school; now, it's the norm. And that's just for adults - technology for babies/toddlers has evolved, too.

When JJ was born, I didn't know much about stuff for babies. I mean, I'd done my research, but as a newborn, JJ spent most of the day asleep. As he got older, I started to get him more toys and realized just how much stuff is out there. It's almost overwhelming how much stuff is out there for toddlers - and we're adding a new one to the collection this fall.

LeapFrog - a dominant staple in our household - is coming out with the LeapPad, which looks like a kiddo version of an iPad. I know the toy is for kids who are at least 4 years old, but most of JJ's toys are for age groups that are above him anyway - so I'm sure he'll love this and catch on to playing with it soon enough. It looks durable, too, which is a good thing...with a 2 1/2 year old, things get thrown. A lot.

I pre-ordered it for him today, and it should be here sometime in September. We'll have to hold on to it until his birthday in December [which, i can't guarantee the thing will stay in the box that long - but we're gonna try to hold out], but I'm so excited for him to have this. It's incredible how far technology has come, because I can guarantee you, we had NOTHING like this when I was his age. It'll be interesting to see how much further technology has evolved as he goes through his school years...it's hard to imagine things progressing past where they are now, but something new happens every day with technology that makes it bigger and better than the day before. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that people don't really have landlines anymore. Eesh.

Finished not one, but TWO books in the past week. Whoa.

I think that's some sort of record for me since my AP English days: I finished two books this week. I was halfway through one and like, 20 pages into the other...so I didn't exactly read two books cover to cover, but whatever. It's the small victories, right?

I finally finished Mennonite in a Little Black Dress. I'd put it aside a few weeks ago because it was starting to get slow for me, but I picked it back up and finished it late last week. It was a pretty good read, but it lost me as it got to the end. The author was witty and open about her twists and turns through her religion, something I could relate to. I hated what she went through with her husband but was amazed at how she could find the humor in her life as a whole. 

Now, Water for Elephants...that's a whole different story. It was a little slow at first, so I put it down. But I picked it back up yesterday during a slow afternoon at work and got lost in it. I finished it last night - reading nearly 400 pages in one day. It was an easy read once I figured out the vernacular, and I totally didn't want to put it down. The end was a little mushy for me, but the book as a whole was fantastic. I found myself wanting to go to the circus, to see Rosie perform, to see Jacob beat the crap out of August...the details really made me feel like I was a part of the story, and each character brought something new to it. I really want to watch the movie now [and not just because R.Patz is in it, which is a big bonus].

So, two more books down. I'm thinking about re-reading The Hobbit soon since that movie just started filming, but I'm always looking for new books. The Help is one I want to read, too, before that movie comes out. I think the reading bug is back!

Life uninteresting.

Today, I realized why I don't blog that often: I honestly have nothing interesting to tell. Sure, I've got a 2 1/2 year old who is all over the place, but stories about how JJ got into the laundry basket - again - get old after awhile. During the week, I work and take care of him; during the weekend, I sleep and take care of him. Life hasn't changed much since I went from me to me + him.

I wish I had more interesting things to think about - well, I wish I had more energy to do more interesting things to blog about, honestly. I'm working on the energy front, but I can't guarantee my life will get any more interesting, even with energy. Well, it might - I'd start working out again, start scrapbooking etc.

Scrapbooking - I'll chat about that today, since I feel like I NEED to update this sorely neglected blog. The last time I made a full scrapbook was senior year of high school, when we had to do a memory book as our final project. I put the thing together in the span of 12 hours [literally] and wound up acing it [someway, somehow]. While that scrapbook was honestly not that good, I want to put a better effort into the ones I'm beginning to make. JJ deserves that, I deserve that, and our memories deserve that.

Now, scrapbooking can be really, really overwhelming nowadays. There are all these products, all these "tips of the trade" out there...and I haven't even begun to dive through them yet. It's a little scary, honestly, thinking about how wrapped up into scrapbooking I can become if I let myself get there. One of my amazing friends is letting me buy her L Letterpress [which i intend on using for more than just scrapbook stuff]:

And my mom has a Cricut [that she saaaaaays she won't let me take out of her house, but i'm working on it]:

These two instruments alone, paired with the hundreds of pieces of scrapbook papers - and hundreds of pictures I've had printed over the months - could help me do some damage. My problem is, I'm not sure where to start. I think things through too much, honestly - I have an idea of how I want JJ's first year scrapbook to look, but then I start REALLY thinking about it and get discouraged. I think I need to just dive in and get started, and see where it goes from there. 

My goal is to get one scrapbook completely finished by the end of the year - which is already halfway here. Guess I'd better get started, eh?

Me + sick = boo. Memorial Day = fabulous.

So this weekend, I either overindulged or ate something bad [or maybe a little bit of both] - because I woke up at 3am Tuesday morning very, very sick. I still went to work on Tuesday but took off yesterday and may take off today because I'm still not able to keep much down. I try not to be one of those people that's like, "Woe is me, I'm sick and a big baby"...but let's face it. I'm totally that person. I don't want people to feel sorry for me, but I do want them to know that I'm sick and, dang it, I'm gonna complain about it for two seconds before I move on.

So now, I'm up at nearly 1am because I was able to take a nap today with JJ [and I needed it, because this whole upset tummy/not being able to really eat thing isn't fun] and am, therefore, just about wide awake. I honestly hate missing work, especially during the summer, but not being able to hold anything down caused issues on Tuesday and yesterday. Whatever this is, I hope it passes soon, because not feeling well turns me into a crabby baby [clearly].

Anyway. I may have overindulged during the holiday weekend, but it was nice to have a three-day weekend [with another one not coming for more than 30 days - I set a timer on my phone]. I went home for the weekend to hang out with my mom, and my sister came home Monday morning to bug me and hang out. I honestly didn't get much accomplished, but I did get my nails done and watched Purple Rain for the first time ever. I also sat through the four-hour extended version of Return of the King...if only I'd known it'd take four hours when I started it...

It was SO hot on Saturday, though, that by noon, we were all done. We ran errands that morning, but it was cracking 100 degrees by the middle of the day, and we just headed home instead of doing whatever else was left. I'm not sure I cooled down until nearly an hour after we got home...let me tell ya, I did NOT miss the 100-degree weather [although, it's better than tornado warnings]. Welcome to summer, Oklahoma.

So, as you can see, life hasn't been very interesting lately. Well, interesting to anyone else but me, I guess. :) JJ's woken up twice in the past half hour, so I'm hoping that doesn't mean he's getting sick, too...I'd better head out and prepare myself, just in case. Can you believe he'll be 2 1/2 at the end of the weekend?! Sheesh.

WMW: Dear Husband [and Son]

After this entry, I'll blog about life lately - but this entry will focus on the two loves of my life.

Today's prompt said to write a letter to someone to express your gratitude, love, hopes and dreams etc. I decided to write two - one to my husband, J, and one to our son, JJ.

Dear Husband:

You are...just amazing. In the 6.5+ years we've been together, we've had our share of ups and downs. But through it all, you've continued to love me, support me and be there for me. For that, I'll forever be grateful.

I wish I could put into words how much I love and appreciate you. Even though we've spent a lot of our relationship in separate cities [and states], our love has continued to grow. When we first started dating [a month before I left for college], I thought we wouldn't make it. Now look at us. I'm pretty sure if we can make it through what we've been through the past 6.5 years, we can make it through anything.

What I want for you is to be happy. To advance in the Air Force. To never forget that I will always love you, always want the best for you, always be your No. 1 fan. I know it's not easy putting up with me, and thank you for doing that for so long. We have many, many years to go - and I'm excited to see what kinds of adventures our life together takes us on. I love you so, so much. Thank you for being you.

Love you always,
Wifey

Dear Son:

How did I get so lucky to become your mommy? When you were first born, I wasn't sure about motherhood - I was convinced I would screw it up every possible way. Now, 2.5 years later, you're a strong, happy little boy that keeps growing by the day. It's amazing, watching you grow.

I'll never be able to put into words the love I have for you. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you [not even your daddy, even though he's a close second], and my love for you continues to grow as you grow. I know that you and I already have our difference ["Pudding!" "No JJ - dinner first." "Pudding!"], but I think we're still learning the ropes of being mommy and son. I look forward to looking back on these days when you're older and sharing all these stories from your early years. Your ear problems, your love of being outside and car rides, your love of ice chips, your favorite blankie...I can't wait to tell you about them [and possibly embarrass you with them].

As you get older, I want you to know that I'm always going to be here for you - even when you think I'm not [and I know you will - I was a teenager not too long ago]. I don't ever want to pressure you to be perfect - I just want you to be YOU. I know that soon, you won't be my little boy anymore...but in my mind, you will ALWAYS be my little boy. And your happiness will ALWAYS be my No. 1 priority. I am so honored to be your mommy and look forward to many, many years of fun with you. I love you so much baby boy!

Love forever,
Mommy

Tornado season = boo.

Every year, when winter starts to end and spring starts to show its pretty little head, my heart starts to skip a beat. Why? One word.

Tornadoes.

When I lived in Hawaii, there was no such thing as tornadoes. Sure, we had storms, and we even had one hurricane while I lived there [and one hasn't hit since]. But tornadoes was a new thing for me when I moved to Oklahoma. I remember the first time I almost had a close encounter with one - we had just moved to Oklahoma [August '95], and a severe thunderstorm was rolling through. A tornado hit south of us, but you could see the sky outside our hotel door...and it was pitch black. I was so nervous, I ate an entire box of Fruit by the Foot and proceeded to get sick after.

Ever since then, I've been ridiculously scared of tornadoes. I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually been in danger of a tornado hitting where I am, and I've been here almost 16 years. But after seeing their destruction [May 3, 1999 is still crystal clear in my mind, even though I lived an hour south of all the major damage...for those not familiar with how much destruction was done that day, you can check it out on Wikipedia], learning that they can pop up at any minute, seeing the excitement and fear on meteorologists across the country as they talk about them...I'm borderline terrified of them.

That's why, when the meteorologists in the state started talking about a "particularly dangerous situation" [or PDS] that was supposed to occur a week ago today, my pulse started to race. Thanks to technology, we get a fair amount of warning about bad weather and can usually prepare for it - but tornadoes are a whole different beast. You never know where they'll develop, how far they'll travel, how strong they'll be...they're scary things. And it's not everyday that a PDS is issued; so when the weather stations in the state DID issue one, I packed up the car the night before with things for JJ, and I prepared to head to a shelter [since my apartment is NOT safe enough to withstand a tornado]. The next day, it was beautiful until about 2pm...then, the crappy weather started blowing in.

We were all watching the radars that day and saw that a tornado had developed in the southern parts of the state that were tracking right for us. My assistant director let us off an hour early, and the university officially shut down half an hour later. I had time to get JJ, go get dinner and head to a dorm on campus to wait out the storm with a friend. My mom said that she was watching the weather and didn't think the tornadoes would track for us, but my gut was saying otherwise - so I went to the dorm instead of going home. While there, we watched the news, saw the tornadoes tracking right at us and, half an hour after I got there, heard the sirens go off.

Happy Memorial Day - a day of remembrance

Today is not just another holiday. It's Memorial Day - a day we all take a step back, reflect, and thank those who have risked or given their lives to wear the uniform of one of the branches of the Armed Forces. The men and women who have bravely fought [and died] for this country deserve thanks every single day, but today especially.

Military is in my blood. As you all know, my dad served, my late father-in-law served, my husband is currently in, and I have several family members who have or are currently serving. I grew up with a ridiculous amount of respect and appreciation for the Armed Forces, but I thought it was just because my dad was serving. Now that I'm older, my appreciation and respect has molded into one of admiration. I admire those who are willing to put their lives on the line so that I can sleep at night. I admire my husband for his willingness to make this country safer for me and my son.