Thanksgiving Eve

Last night I (may have) had te rest of our bottle of wine. Right before passing out, I told Bryan the long list of things we had to do before we left for Florida. Then I passed out, feeling good to get that off my chest.

I woke up this morning ready for a lazy day of packing and naps. Bryan woke up with a list.

What is happening?!

He completed the list and gave me a list. I ran all my errands, came home to a sleeping baby and a husband who finished his list plus downloaded movies on the iPad. 

So I thanked him (wink) and we took a nap. Our kid is still sleeping!

It's time to eat up our leftovers (last nights pizza and Japanese curry from a friend) and then head out for the airport. 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. My family does it right (hahahaha debate). We get a giant turkey, all the family comes in (on odd years) and we eat, watch football, hang out, play football and eat pies! 

Ode to Champagna!

Oh, Champaign-Urbana, Champagna!

Thine wonders shine

Through google maps and text message.

Those who have been,

Those who have lived near,

Those two dear friends living there now:

All tell of your coming glory.

From the dusty small town,

From the metropolis of WalMart,

From the six minute commute,

From the quiet, dark corner of Oklahoma

Comes the Buckleys.

Oh, Champagna!

Thy has many wonders.

Thine hast a Chipotle, a mall

A Target, a Target, a Target!

A major highway

38,000 students, an airport, a YMCA,

and a real Flat Top Grill.

Here we come to eat your food.

Here we come to attend events.

Here we come to hang out.

Here we come to play.

Here come the Buckleys.

Countdown to Move: 9 Days

I posted two weeks ago that last week would be a crazy week. Well, boom, it was. It was really crazy.

My friend gave birth.

It got freakishly cold.

There was a full moon.

And it was our last full week at home in Oklahoma.

So naturally, the week consisted of packing, stressful "discussions" about packing and moving, eating the rest of our pantry items, and teething.

Yikers.

Also, a spark came back. We remembered our old us. We used to move all the time. At Clemson, one of us was moving at least once a year. Then we moved to North Carolina, then Philadelphia and then, Oklahoma. We have lived here a long time. Longer than we thought we would.

But now were moving. We are us again! We are vagabonds again. Silly nomads into the next chapter. We have only each other, plus the tiny human half me/half Bryan. We have to remember how we used to be. We have to remember how to pack, what to take, what to leave, what to sell, what to tods. We have to do things quickly and efficiently. 

And what we have forgotten, (how did we?) is that we are a really good team. We totally balance. Bryan does not care about perfect, he cares about done. I need to sometimes give up perfection, especially during a move. He is great at packing electronics, squares/rectangles into boxes and getting things from high shelves. I am great at labeling and writing, cushioning with towels/blankets/paper, and throwing things away. We take advantage of comparative advantage (Wow. Wife of an economist, sorry!). We are a whirlwind of get it done. 

So we can sit on the couch and watch Parks and Rec.

So soon, we will be in our new place. It seems so hazy. Like, is it really going to happen?

We will celebrate thanksgiving and Christmas before we are all together in our new apartment. And then, it shall begin.

Until then, pardon my silence as I pack up an entire house with a toddler and celebrate three major holidays (thanksgiving, Christmas, 5 year anniversary) within a month and a half. It's gonna be a crazy ride.

We are so ready for it. Go Team Buckley.

Spoiler alert: Bradley brag

I have really enjoyed my time at home. More than I thought. I told Bryan last night that I'm not sure I'm ready for a 40 hr work week again. I enjoy all these little moments, teaching Bradley, seeing him grow and learn and do things he couldn't do the day before. I like how relaxed I am. I like how clean the house is. I like being able to go to the gym everyday. I like cooking again. I like taking my Chinese class. I like how my marriage is. I just like it.

We have finally finished purging. We went through 9 boxes that have followed us from our first place together and have now just two boxes: wedding memories/dating memories and a box of comedy/humor/college memories. Everything else is shredded or trashed. It feels great!

This year for Christmas, I don't want anything. What is wrong with me?!

Bradley Brags:

He can say so many things now:

-animal noises oink, raaaaar!, neigh, hoo, and corresponding animals: cow/moo, cat/meow, dog/ruff, goat/maa, bird, duck/quack, brown bear/raar, lizard

-food: banana, raspberry, blackberry, blue berry, cracker (omg obsessed!), cookie, cheese, bread, poon (spoon), ork (fork), pepper, ot dah (hot dog), eeee o (Cheerios), pear, apple, broc (broccoli), milk, juice, water, peas

-things: chair, tick (stick), box, shoe, door, car, book, mote (remote), tee (tv), pad (iPad), roomba, up, down, bath, nurse, noo (necklace), pacifa (pacifier), art, yellow, purple, blue, outside

-body parts: head, toes, fee (feet), belly, belly buh (belly button), penis, nose, mouth, eyes, ears, hair, hat

-toys: lee (Lego), car, block, dog, popper, ball, duck, whale

-people: mama, dada, papa, meme, grapa, grama, lou, bryce, baby, Elmo, Oscar, Bert, big bird (bi bir), cook (Cookie Monster, Mickey 

-phrases: lo you (love you!!!), like that, all done, more, please, thank you, noooo, yessss, ouch, hot hot, coooo (cold), mine, hello, hi, byeeeee

I'm amazed. His language skills have taken off! I know this is the age that kids start learning more words, but it is so cool! 

You have to give everything up to be a mom.

My Chinese class has been a really wonderful part of my fall semester. I started out by taking it for my job. Then I quit my job, and I kept taking it (because I already paid for it) because I needed something challenging, regular, for me.

This isn't the first time I've taken a class at the university Bryan taught at. At Ursinus, I took a digital media course and learned photoshop and flash. It was fun and I learned a lot.

My Chinese class has dwindled from with students to three. Me, Bradley's nanny from the baby days and a guy.

We are learning occupations in class, and yesterday our teacher shared the Chinese word for stay at home mom. She pointed at me and said Alyssa is a stay at home mom. I agreed, but I responded in Chinese that I was other things: a writer, a runner, and a Chinese student. The teacher laughed.

But the guy student said that really I was a stay at home mom. That's what you do. You have to give everything up to be a mom, a good mom. and that's important, I mean you're raising your kids.

Ouch.

I'm not sure what to say except that it didn't feel good and I dont agree and I just feel like I'm doing my best and it's all going pretty well. But I didn't say anything. I just said, I can still have dreams! A kid can't keep me from dreaming. (Gosh, now that I typed it, it sounds so adolescent. Embarrassing.)

Whatever. I'm a lot of things. I'm Alyssa. I'm a mom. I'm a student. I'm a runner. I'm a writer. I'm a comedian. I'm also currently Chair of the Moving Committee. So there's that.

And my kid is adorable. Pictures as proof.

Words words words

I have saved three posts in drafts.

We're moving. I can't hardly believe it. Writing those words and putting them out there: yikes. Feels real.

This post isn't nearly as poetic as the first one. In less than three weeks, we will not live in Oklahoma, we will live in Illinois.

I haven't written much detail about my feelings in the past two months. There's been a lot of them, but overall, I've been relaxed, stress free (mostly) and happy.

Before I quit my job, Bryan said I used to say "This week is gonna be a crazy week, but after this week, things will calm down." He said I used to say it every week. 

One of the first comments he made about me being at home was that I didn't say that phrase anymore.

Well, for the first time in nine weeks, I am saying it. We've got to schedule the timing of the movers, pack everything (except garage and closets), cancel cable/internet/address/etc and you know, celebrate Thanksgiving.

Truly, we have only this week to handle everything. By this time next Sunday, I want to be packed. So that Monday and Tuesday can be cushion days to finish any packing that somehow (no naps, someone sick, something crazy) didn't happen. Because then it's traveling for thanksgiving, back for a day before the pods and the movers come.

So I'm gonna say it: this is gonna be a crazy week!

Oh hi, 4AM, it's been awhile.

Ugh. I'm up at 4AM. 

Not by choice.

Bradley woke up at 3:55. Whyyyyy?

I checked for injuries. For a lost pacifier. For cold body parts.

Nothing obvious except that he wanted up. He wanted to start the day.

Oh lordy, I rocked him and sang and turned on the iPod which we use for naps. I tried to lull him back to sleep.

"Dada!"

What? Kid, Dada is sleeping and he wouldn't like it if we woke him. In fact, I'm not too happy to be awake now either.

"Dada!" 

I just shush him and rock for another few seconds and put him back in the crib.

Another 45 minutes later, he cries for long enough that I can't sleep and worry that if he cries longer, Bryan will be up too.

I'm smarter now because I've been up longer. It's probably teething. Or maybe his 6:30 bedtime, maybe he needs to go to bed later.

Either way, here I sit, rocking a much too awake baby as I long for my bed and more sleep.

DIY Lego table

I was planning to get Bradley a Lego table for Christmas since he loves Legos so much.

I found some pintrest ideas about it and it looked easy. We took a small ikea table we already had in his room, a Lego base plate from target and some sticky squares to hold it down.

It literally took three minutes to do. And now Bradley has an awesome table to play Legos on!

Happyyyyyyyyy

Oh, November 1, you are a good day.

Such a good day.

Day in our life: 15 months

Ok, this probably isn't interesting, but I am fascinated. My days are totally different now. More flexibility but still a routine.

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6:30-7:15.  Bradley starts babbling or crying, I get up, wash my face and then go get Bradley. We sing songs, put away his pacifier and blanket, and nurse.

7:30. Bryan wakes up, says good morning to us, and jumps in the shower.  We read books, change diaper, get dressed, play around until Bryan is dressed.

7:45. We all go to the kitchen for breakfast. Bradley gets plain Cheerios, milk and fruit. Bryan gets black coffee and honey nut Cheerios. I pour a water and then go get dressed in gym clothes.

8.  We all put on shoes. I grab a banana, water bottle and my purse. Bryan buckles up Bradley and I drive to campus to drop off Bryan. 

8:10. Bradley and I get to the gym. Bradley goes to the child watch and I hit the treadmill. Run, bike, lift, floor exercises.

9:15. Get Bradley and go run errands/library story time/go home.

9:30-10:30.  Get home. Play with Bradley until A) one big meltdown or B) Bradley signing sleep. Change diaper, give Bradley his pacifier and turn on music. Nap time for Bradley.

Sometimes nap time for me. Other things: tv time, chore time, Internet time, shower time, phone date, or do homework.

12:30.  Bradley wakes up. MWF, we go get Bryan to do lunch. T/TH, Bradley and I make something at home.

1:00. Playtime. Sometimes we go outside with a ball

or walk to a park

or have a play date

or play Legos

or read books or whatever.

2:30.  Snack time. A little bit of goldfish for both of us.

3.  Diaper change, music on and put Bradley in his crib. Sometkmes he naps, sometimes he babbles.

3:45. Go get him only to find him playing his "No!" game.

This entails me walking in to pick him up but him pretending to be asleep or crawling away from me in the crib while saying "Noooooooo!" and laughing hysterically.

I laugh, too, because it is hysterical.

4:00. Yes, that game lasts a long time. Then we call Bryan and see how he's doing. If he's hungry, I start dinner while Bradley colors

or plays with our tupperware cabinet.

If he's not that hungry, we play or go outside

or watch Elmo videos (omg post coming later about Elmo. Sigh.)

or whatever.

5-5:30. Bryan gets home from work.

He plays with Bradley while I get started on dinner or finish up cooking. Sometimes I enjoy a glass of wine. It's a beautiful, quiet time when I can cook alone and hear those guys in the living room playing.

6:00. Eat dinner. Bradley eats what we eat, just cut up small and separated. If he won't eat anything (rare) or our food isn't that healthy (sometimes), we make him a hot dog with cheese, green pepper and whatever else we've got.

He always gets to pick fruit for dessert and I actually let him eat until he signs all done.

6:30. Operation Bedtime:

Bradley gets a bath,

then brush teeth,

pajamas and

3 books. Pacifier, blanket and one song. 

Sometimes he falls asleep in my arms but usually he isn't. He pets his hair and stays up babbling or lies quietly depending on how tired he is.

7. Bryan and I get our time.

We clean the kitchen and talk about our days. I show him all the videos and pictures I took during the day. Then we sit down to watch tv or play games or whatever.

11. Bedtime for me. Bryan stays up to play games.

Life is pretty good right now.