Budget Bungle

Congress still hasn't approved NASA or any other agency's FY11 budget still. But they should rethink giving NASA any budget. I mean really we spend all this money to explore the universe and look for evidence of alien life and what a waste. Because apparently a man in Michigan is having a news conference at a Ramada Inn to reveal his ice meteorite replete with alien life all for pennies! Cancel NASA, hire Michigan Ice Man!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday we trekked up to Arkansas for the big extended family Thanksgiving. Amazingly enough we actually had turkey for a change, weird huh? Usually there are so many people (50+) no one bothers with a turkey, but this year Jeannie and Ron brought a cajun fried turkey which is awesome and then there was the usual assortment of dishes. So we got turkey plus all the other good stuff. I brought the usual baklava because I wanted to sleep indoors and not be shut out of the house if I had come without it. Surprisingly enough there was a whopping 5 pieces that made it to Friday which Frank and Delores polished off. I think the only reason there was any left is that desserts were put in the sun room and the baklava was mysteriously positioned in the far back corner.

Zara once again proved to be a good traveler and when we stopped at a grocery store and she was excited by a little Tigger stuffed animal she got it as a reward. We came back early so we've had a few days to relax and finish off our vacation. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving and enjoy all you have! Here is a photo from this weekend of Zara in Mommy's hat, can't believe our baby isn't really a baby anymore and we are thankful she is a healthy and happy kid.

Terrible Teens

Last night while I was getting dinner ready, I think Zara and John got into their first "teen" argument (thirteen months that is). I made spaghetti squash and meatballs for dinner which turned out great and I don't think Zara even noticed the difference. Yay for extra veggie servings instead of pasta. But when I was trying to get the squash out of the oven, John was corralling the curious toddler away from it and kept saying "no". To which she replied "ya" at each one and still tried to reach for the door. It's going to be a long 18 years...

Bad Santa

These are toys that will definitely not make it under the tree for Zara. I think the best one is the girls only toy cleaning trolley. Pink toy vacuum cleaners weren't enough, someone had to go for the entire minimum wage job experience as a toy for girls.

10 Controversial Toys

How Not to Play

Last weekend in my coed rec soccer game at Gilruth, I missed wide of the goal. There is a thing that happens when playing soccer that suddenly when left with ample time and space to kick the stupid ball at the goal, you get really excited and send it way off target. Typically happens because in your excitement to power the ball as hard as you can you end up leaning backward and if lifts the ball over the top. Now when I missed I was outside the 18 and my wet cleat hit the wet ball and it skipped off to the side (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). But I don't feel nearly as bad as this guy who was playing in a U-19 international match and I'm not sure there is any kind of excuse for this.

Training Wheels Off

Zara has been "walking" fine for awhile but insisted on having a finger/hand/pant leg to hold onto while doing so. We've managed a couple steps at a time between handholds but that was about all. We knew if would happen that she would one day decide she was capable of walking without training wheels, really we weren't going to be walking across the high school graduation stage still holding her hand. That day was apparently yesterday. While I was making breakfast and Daddy was playing with her, she decided she doesn't need the help anymore and took off. We even thought she was walking to me before she decided her new found freedom was worth exploring and took a left and kept on going. I'm glad for this change since it might mean I have a free hand getting everything in the car in the morning.

Also, calendars only work when you put things in them since I referred to my celendar and thought the day was free. As excited as I was about finally going to book club and having finished the book, it was not on my calendar and I managed to commit to a work function and double book myself. The work function will be fun, the Women's Forum is hosting a golf outing to teach those that want to learn but have never had the chance. I am "instructing" which means I can't really skip it now that I've committed. Still want to get back to book club at some point though.

Cowgirl Up

Today I went to the Texas Conference for Women, our company buys a table and those who want to can request to go. This was my first time and several others were there including Erin and Alison who I spent the day with. It was interesting to say the least and not actually as much big hair as you'd expected. The conference covered various topics from small business to personal finance and organizing your life. The panel sessions were pretty much eh which was disappointing because the descriptions sounded good beforehand. It was also fairly annoying that at a conference for women the bulk of the expo booths were jewelery, hair products, etc. Lame and stereotypical all at once.

The best parts though were easily the keynote speakers in the morning and lunch. Format was each speaker got like 15 min and there would be like 5 at a time. Which was nice because it then covered several different topics or perspectives. The so-so speakers were some fitness person from Austin and Marion Jones, yup the Balco steroid former olympic athlete. She was supposed to be speaking about her personal journey and how difficult it is to regain trust. But she didn't really offer any insight into her personal journey or provide any actual details on HOW she is trying to regain trust. I'm sure she's been through a lot, but it wasn't all the interesting of a talk.

The BEST talks BY FAR were from three ladies in particular. First and I was surprised by this one, Judge Glenda Hatchett from the TV court show. Very interesting talk about how she became a judge and making your own story out of your life. The second was Dr. Jen Arnold a director in pediatrics at Texas Children's and star of The Little Couple on TLC speaking on her outlook on life. Sorry, don't think they are all cool for having TV shows, but they seriously had the best talks and seemed like the most genuine and intelligent women of the speakers. Lastly, Leigh Ann Touhy (as in "The Blind Side" inspiration) spoke about doing something, anything to give back and help especially kids in the community. Just a plain super engaging talk.

If nothing else it was a good day to just stop and reflect on a few things and have a good time with some ladies while doing so.

Book Discipline

...I forgot to post this earlier in the week, but Alicia's blog reminded me. I am seriously behind in books I want to read. I was actually forcing myself NOT to read The Girl Who Played with Fire for awhile because I needed to study for my Certified Systems Engineering Professional exam. I took and passed the exam last Friday the 29th which is only exciting because its done and not so much like it was really worth the cache that goes into it at work. It's also another item from my "development plan", catch the theme here. But its done, so full steam ahead reading!

I finished Fire on the flights to/from Norfolk (ok, so there is another plus to travel). But before I get wrapped up in Hornet's Nest to finish the Millennium trilogy which I really like, I need to read the book club book for the month The Stupidest Angel. I haven't gotten to go to book club for the last two months due to conflicts, so finally I get to go again. Yay, for not having a dumb exam to study for anymore to let me read!

Blotchy Blogging Baby

This week I had to head to Norfolk, VA for two days. I wasn't there for a business purpose really, but this month is my assessment at work and they take those "Development Plans" seriously. I had a training class on there that hadn't come to Houston, so off I go and headed to pretty much the only available choice to get it done before my review. Class was so-so, although there are lots of interesting people at my company and I met an a retired Admiral from the British Navy there. Funny thing is I was "cool" because I worked at NASA. But it wasn't all bad having to travel since I got to hang with Heather for dinner one night! Big thanks to her prof that gave them the night off. ;)

But I think there is a curse for moms that travel for work, this is the second time in a row Zara got sick while I was away. It started with a cold early in the week and turned into a fever on Tuesday for a couple hours when I picked her up from school early. Wednesday (the day I left) Daddy had to stay home for the mandatory 24hrs post fever daycare requires and then tried to take her back on Thursday, only to have them balk at the rash she developed and insisted on a doctors note to clear her. The rash was just sensitive skin from the remains of the cold, but didn't matter John had to spend the morning running her to the doctor and back to school for no reason. Ultimately, she was cleared, John got a little work done, Mommy got home Friday night, and we have a happy, healthy toddler on our hands again. It would be a lot easier if she would time her illnesses for when we were both home to deal with them.

Trick or Treat

Technically this was not Zara's first Halloween, but at a week old last year, there wasn't a whole lot of candy action. Growing up we always made our Halloween costumes and I figured I'd keep it up with Zara. For her first Halloween I whipped up a pretty rough starfish costume, a starfish because she used to just flail out and stretch arms and legs wide after a nap pretty much exactly like one. Our entry into costume didn't go so smoothly, the hat just made her madder so we ditched it pretty quick.

But we chilled out when we went outside and starting walking around to visit the neighbors. We trick or treated Ms. Carol all by our self even (standing only, still not walking without a handhold).


And after visiting all the neighbors we settled down in a driveway with a bunch of neighbors and gave candy away to the kids en masse while we got to talk. It works pretty well because you don't have to keep getting up answering the door and kids love it because one "house" covers like 6 of them on the street speeding their candy collection along. But while sitting there Zara had obviously figured out the whole Halloween thing as she systematically emptied our candy pumpkin into her trick or treat bag. Daddy's girl.