The Great Salt Lake
There's no denying the power of snow at Christmastime - it kicked my holiday spirits up a few notches, for sure.
We are at our friend Keith's house in SLC, enjoying casual hang time before tomorrow, when we'll head to Provo to T's mom's place for JP to meet Utah Grandma and Grandpa for the first time. Tonight she'll meet her Aunt Elizabeth, too. Last night, a bunch of T's Utah friends stopped by to meet her. She's a popular gal around these parts.
She's getting rounder and rounder, looking more like a person every day. I have to say the plane ride with her was a breeze once we got all the crap through security. She pretty much slept through takeoff and the most frightening and violent landing it has ever been my displeasure to experience. We came in just ahead of a nasty snowstorm on approach, and the descent was truly awful. I was whimpering and panting, gripping her for dear life - T. had to talk me off the ceiling to keep me from utterly freaking out as the plane pitched and dropped for about 20 minutes, bouncing down through a thick layer of foggy soup. People all around were yakking into their airsick bags and babies, kids and more than a few adults were screaming...and all the while, peaceful little Junior was fast asleep in Mama's arms, enjoying the bouncy bounce. She didn't cry until we were on the ground and completely still. Seems we have a happy little daredevil on our hands.
So, T. went skiing today, but I took a pass on the idea of taking the baby up the mountain to hang out in the lodge and take turns at runs. Skiing just doesn't mean that much to me to bother with exposing her to cold and altitude, so we're here at Keith's staying warm and cleaning up after the get together last night. But later, I'm going to hit the downtown thrift store (hit one yesterday already) to score some fifty cent winter baby clothes (sweet!) and see what other goodies I can find on this fine Saturday before Christmas. God knows I don't need anything new - Santa was a little too good to me this year, to be honest, and I'm pretty set up for stuff. (I HATED leaving home before I got to use my new toy - my first copper skillet!!! It's sooo pretty and shiny, gleaming on the pot rack in the sun just begging me to spin up the perfect risotto with its smooth, even heat. OK, I heart Santa.) But thrifting for baby clothes is the way to go, hands down, and I can get my thrift shopping jones on without guilt. Nothing ever costs more than a dollar and it's always in great shape because babies wear stuff for approximately eight minutes before they outgrow it.
Laura (
aloradream) gave us an amazing book called "Buy, Buy Baby" about marketing and toy development for preschool children and the junk science between a lot of so-called "educational" toys. I'm enthralled! I never, ever cease to be amazed by how much marketing can seize on our desires and insecurities and sell them to us with a straight face, even in the absence of any evidence to support their claims. You should read this book if you have kids, and even if you don't. It's fantastic. Thanks Laura!
So, that's the pre-Christmas ramble and blah-blah from here in Utah. Hope you're fabulous.
We are at our friend Keith's house in SLC, enjoying casual hang time before tomorrow, when we'll head to Provo to T's mom's place for JP to meet Utah Grandma and Grandpa for the first time. Tonight she'll meet her Aunt Elizabeth, too. Last night, a bunch of T's Utah friends stopped by to meet her. She's a popular gal around these parts.
She's getting rounder and rounder, looking more like a person every day. I have to say the plane ride with her was a breeze once we got all the crap through security. She pretty much slept through takeoff and the most frightening and violent landing it has ever been my displeasure to experience. We came in just ahead of a nasty snowstorm on approach, and the descent was truly awful. I was whimpering and panting, gripping her for dear life - T. had to talk me off the ceiling to keep me from utterly freaking out as the plane pitched and dropped for about 20 minutes, bouncing down through a thick layer of foggy soup. People all around were yakking into their airsick bags and babies, kids and more than a few adults were screaming...and all the while, peaceful little Junior was fast asleep in Mama's arms, enjoying the bouncy bounce. She didn't cry until we were on the ground and completely still. Seems we have a happy little daredevil on our hands.
So, T. went skiing today, but I took a pass on the idea of taking the baby up the mountain to hang out in the lodge and take turns at runs. Skiing just doesn't mean that much to me to bother with exposing her to cold and altitude, so we're here at Keith's staying warm and cleaning up after the get together last night. But later, I'm going to hit the downtown thrift store (hit one yesterday already) to score some fifty cent winter baby clothes (sweet!) and see what other goodies I can find on this fine Saturday before Christmas. God knows I don't need anything new - Santa was a little too good to me this year, to be honest, and I'm pretty set up for stuff. (I HATED leaving home before I got to use my new toy - my first copper skillet!!! It's sooo pretty and shiny, gleaming on the pot rack in the sun just begging me to spin up the perfect risotto with its smooth, even heat. OK, I heart Santa.) But thrifting for baby clothes is the way to go, hands down, and I can get my thrift shopping jones on without guilt. Nothing ever costs more than a dollar and it's always in great shape because babies wear stuff for approximately eight minutes before they outgrow it.
Laura (
aloradream) gave us an amazing book called "Buy, Buy Baby" about marketing and toy development for preschool children and the junk science between a lot of so-called "educational" toys. I'm enthralled! I never, ever cease to be amazed by how much marketing can seize on our desires and insecurities and sell them to us with a straight face, even in the absence of any evidence to support their claims. You should read this book if you have kids, and even if you don't. It's fantastic. Thanks Laura!
So, that's the pre-Christmas ramble and blah-blah from here in Utah. Hope you're fabulous.