Roughing It

For Memorial Day weekend we decided to take Ben on his first camping trip. We packed up our car (it's amazing how much you take for an overnighter) and headed down to Hocking Hills, a beautiful area about an hour south of Columbus. Andy and I used to camp fairly often when we were in college and got lots of gear for our wedding, but haven't been in years. I won't say it was the best night of sleep I've ever had, but Ben had a great time, which is what counts, right? Between our little bear cub who thrashed around in his sleeping bag while wedged between his parents and the drunk guy in the campsite next to us who thought it would be a good idea to start playing his guitar and singing (shouting, really) at 2 a.m., no one got much shut-eye. The funny thing is that Andy and I bouth commented on the fact our neighbor had a good voice. We probably would have enjoyed his little serenade at a more reasonable hour. :)
Setting up camp. Ben kept saying, "Dad, thanks for being my helper."
Ben and I bushwhacked down to the river beside our campsite and played in the sand while Andy manned the campfire. A train track also ran on the opposite side of the river and two trains came by that night. Words can't describe Ben's euphoria over seeing a moving train so close. Andy, the pyro extrordinare. We roasted lots of marshmallows, but ate all of the chocolate before the fire really got going so we didn't get to have s'mores. Our tin foil dinners tasted yummy, albeit a little charred. We were just making sure we got our daily allotment of carcinogens. Our super-gourmet camping breakfast: Instant oatmeal in a mug. Andy made us stop at McDonald's afterward to get some more sustenance.
Hiking to Old Man's Cave. Ben loved throwing rocks and sticks into the little stream - a true boy.

The Big 0-3

Although Ben has been telling everyone that he is now 35, he actually celebrated his 3rd birthday this weekend. Techically it was on Sunday, but as we all know, Sunday birthdays are somewhat of a letdown. So we celebrated on Friday with a trip to the park for a picnic and some kite-flying and on Saturday with a small party at home with some friends. I know all parents say how fast time flies, but I really can't believe I have a 3-year-old.

Ben greasing the pan for his train-shaped cake. Drinking lemon juice straight from the juicer - he loves it!

Reading one of his birthday books with Kevin and Paige Jensen.

Thank you to the grandmas and grandpas for the fun gifts - he has enjoyed the books and we've played with the PlayDough set every day this week.
Blowing out the candles - Please ignore the majorly unflattering pose.

Our gift to Ben: new Crocs (he kept trying to wear his two-sizes-too-small ones from last year)
Andy and Ben trying out Ben's kiddie-sized Dollar Store golf clubs.
I used the leftover cake to make chocolate trifles the next day. So yummy!

Decor Dilemma

There are three things that we Dockum women were not born with: Crafting skills, hair/makeup skills, and home decorating skills. Some people can pull things together so effortlessly, but I've now gone to three large home decor stores and haven't found anything that makes my heart sing. Maybe it's just that I lack the vision to see how a random object on a store shelf can translate into aesthetic harmony when hung on the wall or placed on a shelf. It's frustrating to have a house and not know what to do with it and to walk endlessly up and down aisles and come out empty handed. I feel like many of the things sold in stores are a bit bland and I love color (see above), but don't know quite how to incorporate it. I can also look at a picture and say whether or not I like the decor, but don't know how to describe or recreate it. In my dream life I could hire an interior decorator who could bring my vision (or lack of it) to fruition and create spaces that are bright, happy, and welcoming, while being elegant and liveable at the same time.

So my plea to you is: Help a poor sap out and share your home decorating secrets! Do you have a store you always shop at or do you have the best luck at yard sales and thrift stores? (I am a huge fan of both) What magazines or books do you look through for inspiration? How have you come to discover your own sense of style? I sit here anxiously awaiting the pearls of wisdom to drop from your lips.

Invasion

Have you read this book? As one who was not bitten (couldn't resist the bad pun) by the Twilight series (read the first two but couldn't bring myself to read the third), I'm interested to know what people think of Stephenie Meyer's new book. Are you a fan? Why or why not? Either way, you can bet that Steph is laughing all the way to the bank.

What We've Been Up To Lately

Painting/coloring on every scrap of paper and inch of skin in sight. Today it was permanent marker and sidewalk chalk all over himself. That baby loves to exert his creative juices.

Half-hearted attempts at potty traning. This is him transfixed in front of the TV with his hand in warm water. Ben is totally uninterested in going and Andy's mom gave it a try, but every time he holds it while he's on the pot and lets it loose as soon as he gets off. Oy vey.

Wearing his fashionable Thomas the Train slippers everywhere we go. We have major shoe issues, trying on every pair he owns multiple times daily. So now I don't care what he wears.

Enjoying the gorgeous weather. He wanted to wear his blue hat because Auntie Char was wearing her blue hat. Ben says that Auntie Char is his best friend.

Andy is going to kill me for posting this, but this was taken today at 6 a.m. as Andy was getting out to take his first roadbiking trip. He has some friends who are roadbikers and borrowed a friend's bike to give it a try. I think I need to take up an expensive hobby to even things out. :)

This is a game Ben invented tonight after dinner. He carefully lined up books and hopped across each one.

Since Ben learned to do Cheers, every occasion is a special one.

Yeah baby, springtime is the beginning of ice cream season. We love Handel's!

Grocery shopping in our playroom.
Waiting on the front step for Andy to come home (this is a common sight between 5:30 and 6 p.m. at our house). Yes, that is a corn cob in Ben's hand.

Aldi

You've heard me say it before, but I love Aldi. With food and gas prices rising, it's great to go grocery shopping and know you're getting a screaming deal. I can fill a whole grocery cart and come out for under $80, as opposed to Kroger, where you buy five things and spend $50. For those of you who are uninitiated into the beauty of Aldi, it's a grocery store based in Germany that sells its own brand of food at majorly discounted prices. Granted, they don't have as large a selection as mainstream grocery stores, but it's the best place I've found to stock up on staples. Plus, they always have special buys of name-brand food or specialty items. It's also a good place to get toys - we got our 120-piece train table there at Christmastime for $70. Their produce isn't always as good as at Meijer, but better than at Wal-Mart and way cheaper. Plus, the stores are small so shopping with a child isn't as much of a hassle. A few weeks ago Ben brought his kid-sized shopping cart and pushed it next to me and had a wonderful time.

Just don't forget to bring your own shopping bags and a quarter to get a shopping cart (you get it back when you return the cart, saving them from having to hire people to do it and thus passing the savings on through lower grocery prices). Where is your favorite place to get groceries? Are you a fan of Aldi or do you prefer somewhere else?

Ad Love

It's official. Apple is definitely the coolest kid on the block. I saw this ad for iPods and iTunes and fell in love. The music, the colors, the graphics, the additude, the aspirational lifestlye - I eat it all up. I also relate to the dancing - when I turn on my iPod the moves just come out. Andy always laughs when I listen to my iPod because I get so into it and think I'm singing to myself, but am really doing it out loud. One of my current fave songs is Dancing with Myself by The Donnas. It always puts me into a good mood and pumps me up, whether I'm exercising, cleaning, making dinner, or whatever.

What song(s) do you love to rock out on? Do you have any ads that when they come on you get excited?

Washington Weekend

Last weekend we packed our bags, two kites, and a pint-sized hat and cowbooy boots and headed off to our nation's capitol. We spent the weekend seeing Andy's sister, Betsy, taking in the sights, and celebrating some birthdays, Western-style.

We walked all over the city and while my feet were about to fall off by the end, I loved being able to walk everywhere. Andy and I went jogging (separately) around D.C. and on the Mall on Friday morning. I ran down Pennsylvania Avenue, right by the White House and he jogged along the Mall. We saw the new WWII memorial, which is very nice.

A pick-up soccer game at dusk in Dupont Circle, near Betsy's house. We ate breakfast at a great bookstore/cafe and also discovered a little place that serves only chocolate. We indulged in homemade brownies and pie, as well as specialty hot cocoas named after famous divas. Examples: Mine was the Charro, swirled with caramel and rich chocolate, the Lucy had chili powder in it and the Audrey was extra dark chocolate served Paris style in a tiny cup. If you're in D.C., stop by ACKC and get some amazing goodies.

The highlight of my trip - going to the Newseum, the interactive museum of news. I've been dying to go for years and knew I was in heaven when I got to the entrance and they had huge galleys blown up of the front page of newspapers from every state in the country. Six floors of exhibits about the history of news and journalism and an amazing exhibit featuring all the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs since the 1940s. Bonus, the pictures are on display in Columbus at the Ohio Historical Society. I loved it so much I'm going to drag Andy with me on a date night to see them again.

Flying kites on the Mall. The wind wasn't great, but it was still fun.
Ben didn't want to let go of the kites - he kept holding on to the tail and running along.

Party night - heading outside for the Blazin' Star Balloon Stompede. Everyone had balloons tied to their ankles and tried to stomp everyone else's. The person with the last balloon standing won.
Getting ready for the Dupont Draw. A face-off with five paces and waterguns to see who had the quickest hands.
Breaking a pinata in the shape of a boot. Betsy and Char even found toy snakes to put inside so we could recreate the famous line from Toy Story, "There's a snake in my boot!" Ben loved it.

Free Mani/Pedi -

Hedonists, unite! As a pedicure junkie, when I saw this I couldn't resist posting it. If you buy two specially marked products of Herbal Essences shampoo or conditioner or a hair coloring product, you can get a voucher for a free manicure or pedicure at a local salon. Just go to the Herbal Essences website for the details. I usually go to beauty schools to get salon stuff done since it's always less expensive, but there's nothing better than free. So run out and get some gorgeous smelling hair products. You really do have a valid excuse for scoring more beauty buys. Let me know if you end up getting a free mani or pedi - which do you prefer?

P.S. Hidden at the bottom of the terms and conditions it says that you can get up to two vouchers per customer/household. Now you don't have to agonize over pretty hands vs. polished feet - get both!