Fast Facts Friday: Fast-Forward Summer

I cannot believe we're into August already.  Where has the time gone??  As I'm sure you are finding in your own lives, our summer has filled up rather quickly.  So to sort of catch you up on some of what's going on in our lives these last few months I'm going to do a "fast facts" style post.  Enjoy!

• Jayson is a big boy now... we haven't nursed for a week!  Last weekend out of the blue he decided he would finally take bottle from me (which he does at daycare, but never at home.) This is a huge weight off my shoulders.  He self-weaned no problem.  He's eating solids like a champ, including Happy Meals!  I think I was more excited than him to take him to McDonald's.  Their mini fry box is so adorable.  He loves the gogurt included with the meal as well.

• We traveled to New Jersey over the July 4th holiday and enjoyed some time at the Point Pleasant boardwalk, the Jenkinson's Aquarium, a private beach in Toms River, and family bbqs.  Jayson loved the ocean, the sand, and sitting like a big boy at Martell's Tiki Bar for pizza.

• We spent a day at Glimmerglass State Park with friends.  Jayson was again enthralled with the water and sand.

• We finally got around to spending some of Jayson's birthday money.  He is enjoying a toddler sized quad, a blow up kiddie pool, and a bean bag chair.  The remainder was deposited into his savings account for future needs.  Before you know it he'll have College tuition bills or need a car.

• We took Jayson to the local county fair and found that with a paid adult, there were a number of rides he could ride free.  That's right: no tickets, no charge for him...  It's a beautiful thing.  He loved every second of it.  Well, except the tilt-a-whirl but mommy doesn't like that ride either.

• Dunkin Donuts newest craze of coolatas has found a sweet spot in my heart and wallet.  Their Vanilla Bean Oreo Coolata is my downfall.  Come to the dark side.  If you haven't tried one, you should.  However, if you end up addicted you can't say I didn't warn you. Another (more healthy) item I'm really digging lately is Cranberry Almond oatmeal for breakfast from Quaker.  It smells heavenly.

• Jayson is a walking, talking bundle of energy lately.  Some new things he'll say are "oh no," "nana" (short for banana), "what" and "Laura" (his daycare provider).  He also shakes his head yes and no. He'll wag his finger to symbolize "no" as well.  He plays hide and seek, he loves if you run after him although he needs to get better at watching where he's going - he runs into everything!  He plays with his bubble mower, he frequently picks things up (Muscles Magee), he's really good on his scooter now, still loves his tent, and has taken a new interest in his books.

And that my friends recaps what we've been up to.  We'll have plenty of fun times to share in the next few months: Zoom Flume, Adirondack Animal Land, a bachelorette party, a wedding, a trip to Long Island, and a trip to Ocean City.  Can't wait!

What have you all been up to?

Moves Like Jagger

Have you missed me??  Sorry for the no-show on 8/16, things got a little hectic.  We're prepping for the return of students and faculty so my days have been jam packed.  All I can say is thank god for www.pandora.com.  It really helps in crunch times like this.  "Moves Like Jagger" has been playing quite a bit and I think it's a real pick-me-up.  I feel energized when listening to it.  It could easily be the top song of 2011's summer.

Here are some of my favorites from past summers:

• 2010 - Bulletproof, Meet Me Halfway, and California Girls.  These songs make me think of our trip to Ocean City, NJ.  
• 2009 - Calle Ocho & Party in the USA.  Anything by Pitbull makes me think of my friend Danielle and as much as I don't want to admit I liked Miley's song, it was a fun summer-type song.
• 2008 - Don't Stop the Music, Paralyzer, and Summertime.  Who doesn't like a NKOTB song??
• 2007 - Beautiful Girls, Last Night, and Bubbly. I think Justin still has Sean Kingston's cd in his car... may have to swipe it from him and jam out to it.
• 2006 - Buttons and You're Beautiful.  I was in love with James Blunt for that entire summer.  It just spoke to my heart.  What can I say?  I'm a hopeless romantic.

Ok, I think that's enough.  I can't think much farther back (sucky part of getting old...memory loss). What are some of your favorite songs from prior years?  Do you prefer to work in silence or with some form of music on?

Blog Swap: Summer

Today I’m participating in the 20 Something Bloggers Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at "Huh Say What?" about my thoughts on Summer and I’m pleased to welcome Brittany of Louisville, KY to  Gidget's Two Cents:

"I'm really excited to participate in the Blog Swap with Christy! I originally started my blog to be able to write about personal stuff, away from the news stories I wrote about in my journalism classes, and surprisingly, I've kept it up for over a year! Read more at itallfallsdwn.wordpress.com and follow me on twitter @britters_43. Happy reading!"

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Summer. It's a special time of the year because of all of the memories that I have from previous summers. I fell in love for the first time during summer. I fell out of love during summer. My dad was diagnosed with cancer during summer. My dad died during summer. I have memories of riding down the streets of Louisville during summer. Top down, music loud, short shorts on (back in my tiny days, lol.) 

I was looking forward to this summer, I needed to have a season of fun and since I lost my dad last summer, I wanted to create some good memories in 2011. 

Instead, I worked. And in the process I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I am very lucky to be in my right frame of mind. See, I work in an emergency psychiatry unit, and I deal with a lot of sad cases on a daily basis. It's not "fun" work, but it's meaningful. With that being said, I also learned that this is not the career for me. I love healthcare, but since I have no plans to move into a more clinical role, there is no growth for me here.

I also spent a lot of time with my mother this summer. She's all I have left and I'm really learning how to enjoy her company as an adult. We attended a concert together, and we try to have dinner together a few times a week. I'm proud of our adult relationship. 

And despite my non-stop work schedule, I had time to have a little summer romance. I don't think it's going to last much longer, but it's been fun while it lasted. I spent the last three years with one guy, and it took me a while to get over my anger about the break up. And this was just the bit of fresh air that I needed :-)

So tell me, did you do anything new this summer? Did you learn anything about yourself? Do tell!

Air Conditioning & Fandango

Let's talk turkey, shall we?  I have found that there is no happy medium for air conditioning in large industrial buildings.  Once the summer weather hits and that switch is flipped, it's 48 degrees Fahrenheit all the time.  It doesn't matter if today is only 62 out and rainy, that air conditioning unit is still going to town as if it were Africa hot out. Seriously, my fingernails have a blueish tint to them.  I know I shouldn't complain about being in air conditioning, but at least at home when I turn the a/c on there is a thermostat which adjusts for when it's cold and crappy out.