In the House

Every day, we usually play this little game called "Let's Do Something To Get Out of Our Crappy Apartment". Such things have included Unschooling Park Days, trips to the library, a Taste of Colorado, nature centers, a La Leche League meeting, climbing a mountain, touring the Celestial Seasonings tea factory, trips to Whole Foods, an Attachment Parenting playgroup, trips to the park, a social mom's group at the church, going to Pearl Street, etc.

But for the past couple of days we have been sticking around the house because Ocean has been looking like this:

We think it started because on the day that those fires near Boulder started (Labor Day), we happened to be in Boulder at a Boulder Creek Festival where I was doing this (I apologize for the small picture. It was taken with Vernon's phone):

First, she felt fine, but she was losing her voice. Then, her voice was completely gone and she was tired all day for a couple of days. She is better now, but we're pretty sure she was probably having some sort of reaction to inhaling that smoke.

So, we've been at home, doing stuff like this for the past couple of days:

Ezra has made some friends with some boys in our apartment complex who seem to be pretty nice, so he goes outside to play with them absolutely every time he sees them outside. Peace watches him:

Here's Vernon:

And Peace again:

The Westminster Mall

We were walking around the Westminster Mall the other day. (Don't ask me why. Okay. Go ahead ask. It's because sometimes when we don't have anything to do, we go and walk around a mall.) Little did we know upon seeing the mall from the outside that the Westminster Mall was ONE OF THE LAMEST MALLS IN THE COUNTRY!

But, since I am known to enjoy lame stuff on occasion, I actually kind of enjoyed it. You know how I like it when places are quiet when it seems like they should be busy? Well, this mall fit that to a tee. Because out of over 200 storefronts, only 29 or so remained opened.

We walked down one wing where every single store was closed except at the very end there was a pet shop that was still open. And I'm thinking, "Who the heck would come to this pet shop?"

It kind of felt like we were the only people left on the planet, walking through that mall. It had a very weird energy. I was secretly pretending that we were like those teenagers in that movie Night of the Comet, who were the only ones left on Earth after a comet hit (does anybody else remember this movie? anybody? it was seriously a very formative movie from my youth). I love doing that.

I looked Westminster Mall up on the website deadmalls.com after we came home and read the history behind its success (from when it opened in 1977 up until the late 90's) and then subsequent demise (when Broomfield's Flatiron Crossing Mall opened in 2001). And that made me kind of sad, because it is never good when a mall dies.

Mama Pads

DISCLAIMER: Men, I will do you a favor and tell you to just stop reading this post right now.

I have made one more step into the crunchy world of hippie-dom... I am wearing cloth Mama Pads for the first time. They are surprisingly delightful! Seriously though, this is something that I had never really considered before. The whole concept just seemed too *out there* for me (I know, I know... I'm saying that something is *out there*. Go ahead. Have your little laugh). They just seemed like a lot of trouble, having to wash them, etc.

I had gotten some beautiful ones from a friend at my Going Away party, and I simply find them to be the best thing ever. They are more comfortable than I could have ever imagined. And it is not a big deal at all to wash them because I just throw them in with Peace's dirty diapers. Easy peesey.

Here's some questions for those of you in the know:

1. If you don't have diapers to throw them in with like I do, what do you do? Like, do you wash them separately? Or do you throw them in with your regular laundry?

2. Are you supposed to rinse them out beforehand?

3. What are your favorite brands of Mama Pads and where can I get some more of them? I only have four so far and would like to get some more. I have no idea what brand I'm wearing now (Sarah, are you reading this? Do you know?), but they are really good.

Now, let's think... with this off my list, what else do I have to do to be even more strange? Here is the list so far:

Unassisted Birth
Co-sleeping
Unschooling
Elimination Communication
Non-Circumcising 
Organic Eating
Extended Breastfeeding
Non-Vaccinating
Kombucha/Kefir Drinking
Mama Pads

I guess all that's left is to stop shaving my legs, but I don't think I'll ever do that because I enjoy having smooth legs (and armpits).

Note: This is just my life, people, and I am in no way attempting to judge anyone who does things differently. I welcome people of all walks of life to read this blog (shavers and non-shavers alike!). And I'm only kidding about having a list and doing things in order to cross them off of said list of strangeness. This just happens to be how my life has evolved.

The Comedy Club

I got out of the house last night with some fellow chiropractic student wives who I knew in Minnesota and who's husbands also happen to be interning in Colorado. It was so nice and familiar and comfortable and rejuvenating. We're going to make it a monthly thing, where we each plan a different activity for each month we're all here (September, October and November).

Last night, we went to a comedy club.

Here were some of my favorite jokes:

One comic was talking about how placentas are used in make-up, and he says, "So I guess Maybelline was right, ladies. Maybe you really are born with it."

"A waitress asked me if I wanted a box for my food, so I punched her in the face."

Ah, good times. Good times. I would be even happier to make these outings a bi-monthly event.

Or weekly.

Or daily.

Decisions, Decisions

With the exception of Ezra (who was planned only a couple of months in advance), I planned to get pregnant at least two years in advance with my other two pregnancies. This clearly shows that I am a planner, people. A planner.

So, when something comes along that was not planned for (as in, Vernon not getting accepted into the chiro training program and, thus, not knowing what we'll do next), I don't know what to do with myself. I don't like NOT knowing. Everything else in our lives has changed enough already. I would at least like to know what happens next. Remember, I have a structured mind, people. A STRUCTURED MIND!

This is especially hard when Vernon keeps putting off making the decision on what to do (open his own practice, or associate for a year). QUESTION: Does it sound like I'm being passive-aggressive, knowing full well that Vernon will be reading this? ANSWER: A resounding yes! Make a decision, Vernon!

See, Vernon is the type of person who, when looking over a menu at a restaurant, is always the last to decide what to order. He is the type of person who takes forever when it is his turn to do something (ANYTHING!) when playing board games. I've known this about him for a long time. It is just the way that he operates.

But, c'mon! Pick an item from the menu, play your card... and MAKE A FREAKING DECISION!