The rest of our trip north

We were home for almost two weeks and we did a lot. The snow and the Please Touch Museum were just two things we fit into our schedule that seemed to get really busy, really fast.

Our trip got off to a pretty rocky start. It took us a total of 17 hours to get from Dallas to Philly - via air! And that includes spending a few hours at a hotel just outside the Dulles airport. That's right we couldn't make it all of the way to Philly as planned due to weather so Sam got to pick up another state while we spent 3 hours asleep in a hotel in Northern Virginia.


After a hellish flight the next day (including delays in Dulles before boarding, circling in the air, and over an hour on the ground in Philly AFTER we landed but before we got to a gate) we finally arrived!

We got spoiled by Mom-Mom and Skipper, got to hang out with Christina, Chase (after he recovered from the croup), and Andrew, have lunch with my aunt and uncle, go to music class with Chase (which Sam loved), see Auntie Ande's and Uncle Jay's brand new apartment in Hoboken, go to the zoo, get our picture taken with our future hubby. I even got to catch up with some friends, including a really fun dinner out with the girls! Overall, it was a fabulous trip home. I didn't want it to end. And apparently neither did American Airlines.

I was originally supposed to fly home in Wednesday but pushed my flight back a day with no charge since I was delayed a day coming in. Thursday at 3am I got a call from AA that my flight was cancelled and I rescheduled for the same flight on Friday. No problem, we missed KC a lot but we got the chance to hang out with the Palsky's some more and spend some more time with Mom-Mom and Skipper. Friday we were on the way to the airport and I get another call from AA - our flight is cancelled and we can't get out until the next day again! We finally got home on Saturday. Other than the crazy travels we had there and back we couldn't have asked for a better trip. I am already planning another one for April! We can't wait to go back. And this time we're hoping for warmer weather. (What can I say? I'm a Texan now. My blood's thinner.)

The toy she is riding on was mine when I was little. It's a Little Tikes toy and still in really good shape. She loves it!

We had dinner with Pop before he had to jet off to Phoenix to visit DiDi.

Giving Auntie Ande some love.

She is a shoe fanatic. These were Auntie Anj's cowboy boots. When she saw them in the front hall she HAD to have them. She wasn't to happy with we pried her away from them.

We took a trip to Auntie Ande's new apartment in Hoboken and tried pizza for the first time ever! We have had some food issues off and on since she was born so I am always hesitant to try new things. I working on it though. Back to the pizza....SHE LOVED IT!! It turned her into a monster! Once she tried it she walked around begging everyone for a bite of theirs. I haven't broken the news to her yet that pizza in Dallas is nothing like pizza in Hoboken.

This was the Mad Dog face when she ran out of pizza (before she realized what we had replaced in front of her).

We took a walk down to the water. Here's Sam's first view of the NYC skyline.

We took a drive to Maryland to have lunch with my aunt and uncle so Sam picked up 2 new states (Delaware and Maryland) and got to meet their dog Rags.

Rags is a Portuguese Water Dog and so good. He was so sweet to Sam and as with all dogs she couldn't get enough of him.

Here's a picture from the Please Touch Museum. I thought it was too cute not to include but I forgot it when I did the post.

Sam and Chase had there picture taken and then spent some time with Chase showing her the ropes. We could tell he'd spent some time behind the wheel before.

And of course, since we were at Grandma's Sam got a little spoiled. She had a fudgesicle. Can you tell by the look on her face how much she hated it?

Please Touch Museum

Best Place Ever. Seriously. Sam LOVED it. Absolutely loved it.

When Sam and I went home a 2 weeks ago we took an afternoon trip to the new Philadelphia Please Touch Museum. If you haven't already been I would highly recommend it. It's awesome, even for a one year old. When I found out that I would have to pay $15 for me and $15 for Sam to get in I thought that was a little ridiculous but figured we would give it a try. It was well worth the money. They actually had to kick us out of the place. We'll definitely be back next time we go north!

I'm pretty sure Sam's wondering exactly how much Mom-Mom will get away with at the water table.

She may have been a little too short to really enjoy the water tables but she loved the air dryers. We spent a good 5 minutes turning these back on after they would shut off.

All time favorite thing - the slide. She goes down on her butt, face first, upside down, backwards, however she can wiggle out of my fast enough once she gets to the top.

She really liked this one but there was quite a traffic jam at the top after only one trip down.

Big fan of ducks and let's be honest - a goose looks like a big, white duck. if you didn't know any better this is a duck, just a prettier one.

Walking in Tom Hanks foot steps - How cool! (She actually doesn't weigh enough to make any music. That's why nothing is lighting up. It really did work.)

Her Highness

Her face went back and forth between this and complete amazement.

She could climb on almost anything she wanted - which she LOVED!

Of course we couldn't pass up the standard favorite, the carousel.

We are heading to Cincinnati for a wedding at the end of March and I'm hoping we get to check out the children's museum there too. It was the first place we have been there was so much stuff really geared just for her. I'm sure I'll try to squeeeze in a visit everytime we head back east.

Sam's First Day In The Snow

We are here in PA for a week visiting my mom and we were lucky enough to arrive in the middle of a snowstorm. By lucky enough I also mean that we were graced with a 17 hour trip here but that's another blog entry.

Sam just had no idea what to do with the snow other than eat it. She kept putting some in her mouth and smacking her lips. Althought it looks like we bundled her up like Ralphie from a Christmas Story I was worried that she was going to freeze so we only stayed outside for about 10 minutes. Maybe next time we'll brave sledding.

She could walk. Barely.

Tasting the snow. Again. And again. And again.

Great Uncle Mike teaching us how to make snow balls.

Sammie and Mom freezing our butts off. (I'm a Texas girl now. It's too cold up here!)

Christmas Party

So, just when you think I have abandoned this blog completely I return. It's not that I don't love the blog it's just that life has been a little crazy lately. So here we go...

My step mom (Sam's MeMe) works for the Dallas Cowboys. While we are still very big Eagles fans the Cowboys are absolutely wonderful to work for and treat their employees really, really well. So well that each year they throw a Christmas party just for employees kids and grandkids. A party complete with all kinds of kid friendly food (corny dogs, mini cheeseburgers, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, etc..., so many cookies from this really good bakery here in Dallas), pictures with Santa, face painting, karaoke, caricatures, people dressed as gingerbread men, elves, and reindeer. The look on Sam's face as she took everything in was priceless.

She made friends with the gingerbread men and elves. She stole a cookie off of my plate. She really did. Snatched it right off of the plate. And as I was putting her coat on as we were walking out the door I was eating the last bit of a cookie that she wanted and she completely melted down. Threw herself on the ground and everything. I thought this only happened when they turned 2?

We were there for 2 hours and she was completely entertained the entire time. Every time she turned around there was something new to look at (or eat). And of course the child doesn't know a stranger. She was walking all over the place by herself (with me a step or two behind her) and on two different occasions she walked right up to people we do not know and held out her arms to be picked up. Um, we need to work on stranger danger immediately.

We got to sit on Santa's lap. The first attempt to sit on Santa's lap didn't go over so well resulting in tears and no picture. The second time we had success. Of course I am also in the picture and making the most ridiculous face because I am trying to get her to smile. Just keep that in mind when you see the picture. I will try to scan and add it to the post tonight. Here are the rest that I took.

Making friends with an elf. Wearing our beautiful party dress from MeMe

Sitting still while getting our caricature done. The caricature was of Sam as a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader. We took it home and I told KC one of his worst fears had come true :)

This is the stolen cookie. I can't even tell you the look of shock on my face when I turned around and she was holding my cookie. Thankfully she took one of the cookies without an inch of icing. Talk about sugar overload.

We had a bite of mac and cheese...

And couldn't get enough!

Sam and MeMe trying to decide which cookies we need

Sam and MeMe.

PaPa, MeMe, and Sam. Yes, she is holding a blue Tupperware container. It holds her Honey Bunnies. They are these little bunny shaped, honey graham crackers that she loves more than anything. She knows what is inside and likes just carrying the container around. I have about 10 pictures from the party with her carrying this adorable turquoise Tupperware around. Think I can photo shop it out?

Up, Up, Up and Away!

I promised that I would right a post about our trip to Balloon Fiesta. Here it is!

I have been trying to make it to this balloon festival for the last few years. But something always came up, out of town guests, being hugely pregnant, etc, etc. When we found out the first day of the 2008 festival was the weekend we would be driving back from Arizona we were so excited that we could see what all of the fuss was about. Let me just tell you - it was worth it. I have never been that much of a hot air balloon fan but this is something else. There are so many balloons and people. It was a blast. It takes place in these fields that are completely surrounded by the mountains around Albuquerque; so not only are the balloons pretty and the sheer volume of them unbelievable but the views are stunning. I am pretty sure Sam had more fun watching people than the balloons but it was worth it all the same.

We rolled into Albuquerque about 5 pm the day before and checked into our Hilton. Little did we know the hotel room would be the sight of one of our top five worst nights of sleep ever! After walking around a bit I started to freak out that Sam would be too cold the next morning so we headed into a Gymboree to get some gloves and an extra pair of socks. (Now Gymboree is not my first choice for these items since it cost us $21 - yes $21! but we didn't have a lot of options in the small outdoor shopping area we were in.)

The night of not-so-much sleep

We had planned on Sam sleeping in the bed with us. Port-s-cribs tend to freak me out (see the Dominican Republic story) and the pack and play she slept in while we were in Arizona was under about 2 tons of stuff we had stuffed in the trunk of our car. We had planned to leave for the dawn send off at about 5:30am. After spending most of the night tossing and turning and the hour from 3:30 to 4:30 trying to convince Sam that this was sleep time and not playtime we caved and got ready to head out the door. I am sure the people in the adjoining room appreciated our departure more than we will ever know. In the end it turned out to be a blessing that we left earlier than planned. We got a great parking spot and missed most of the traffic heading into the event. (always looking for a silver lining...)

This is what Sam thought of getting out of the nice, warm car and into the chilly morning air. Especially since she had to sit in her stroller. Oh the horror! I have to admit the thought running through my head at this point was - Quiet kid! You have been up for hours. There's no complaining now! If anyone should be crying it should be your me. Or maybe your dad since he has a 10 hour drive home ahead of him. It's the sweet maternal instinct in me. What can I say.

Can't you tell how much she loved the $14 mittens we got her?

I was so glad that we were there for the dawn patrol. It was my favorite part.

They send off 12 balloons first thing to check the wind conditions before the other gazillion balloons take off.

We rested for a bit between the dawn patrol and mass ascention. Since we haven't had any cold weather I had the poor kid so bundled up. Hat - check. Hoodie - check. Mittens - check. Long sleeve shirt - check. Undershirt - check. Jeans - check. Socks - check. Two blankets on top of all that - check.

If Sam was looking at the camera, there were no people milling around in the background, and there were more balloons in the picture this would be one of my favorites of the three of us. If, If, If...

Some of the balloons were really cool. There was one balloon of Darth Vader's head, supported by grown-ups in full costume (I have no idea what character they were dressed up as since I haven't sent he movie in about 20 years. White plastic looking costumes?) and Nemo which you can see here.

After all the excitement she was so tired she fell asleep chewing on her blanket. And the big, huge, silver lining of getting up at 3:30 in the morning? She took a four hour nap and slept from Albuquerque all the way to Amarillo - it was awesome!

I am an ardent Obama supporter but I had to take a picture in front of the McCain bus. It was parked in our hotel parking lot when we went back to check out. Apparently he made a campaign stop at the balloon festival the day after we were there. The picture of me sticking my tongue out does not need to be posted on the Internet for all to see and judge. Just know that there is one and I can show it to Sam when she is old enough to understand. This bus did prompt a long discussion between KC and I about letting our kids make up there own minds on politics and still liking them if they decided to be Republicans (ha. ha.)

An Obama mama and a baby for Barack

Christina gave me this onesie when I was about 13 weeks pregnant with Sam. I took these pictures on the first night of the Democratic convention. Christina also gave me my Obama Mama pin - which I am wearing proudly today! Thanks Tina!

Today is the day. Have you done your civic duty yet? Texas offers early voting which makes it about as easy as pie to make sure you vote. Seriously, you have 2 weeks to fit it into your schedule (plus election day). Everyone in Texas should vote. I didn't bring Sam this year. But I plan to every year going forward. Election Day was a big deal in my house growing up. First of all, because my school was a polling place so we had off (which was reason enough to love the first Tuesday in November) but my mom made it a big deal. She always voted and she always took us with her.


I remember "voting" in 4th grade for the presidential election. Even then I was so proud. I promptly marched home and told my mother I voted for Bush (the first one). "Why?" she asked. I think my answer went something along the lines of everyone else is and the fact that he had to know what he was doing since he had been a VP. (Ha!) My mom as very liberal Democrat didn't mention that she supported Dukakis or even tell us how she voted. She believed that we needed to make up our own mind how we felt about government, politics, etc.


I think Sam needs to make up her own mind. And I am sure our beliefs will influence it (as my mother's did). She has a grandfather (PaPa - my dad) and an auntie Shannon who are both Republicans so they should help balance out her mother and aunties who are fierce democrats. I am sure she will hear sides to every story growing up. We talk politics A LOT and send lots of emails, links to YouTube videos and articles, etc (especially when we think the recipient will not necessarily agree with the commentary). Shannon - did you ever order that Obama sticker? :) And do we fight about it - yes. Loudly and passionately. But that's what great about our family. Somehow we all still like each other afterwards.

One of my favorite quotes from this election season was made by Hillary Clinton at the Democratic Convention. She said that "her grandmother didn't have the right to vote but that her daughter cast a vote for her mother." Wow. Look how much our country has changed in the last 100 years. Pretty cool. I can't wait to tell Sam all about it.

P.S. As I stated my father is a republican who loves to push the buttons of his 3 liberal daughters, and is usually the one to start stirring the pot. But....this year for the first time in over 30 years he is voting for a Democrat. Yea - go dad! I plan on reminding him of this for years to come.