Los Porchs

Time moves so quickly.  The worst thing about a week of vacation is that by the time your brain processes that you're on vacation and don't have to worry about work stuff, it's time to pack it all up and get back to the grind.  In the spirit of enjoying the day, I'm going to dump our photos here &  get busy watching Pitch Perfect 2 while stuffing my face with pad thai for dinner. We enjoyed 1 day on the beach.  All of the others were SUPER windy and chilly. And rainy. We did a lot of walking and this sleepy face was a common occurrence. Porch was testing the abilities of my camera. He wins. Charlotte discovered her love for ice cubes on this trip. As I packed to come back, Charlotte kept crawling into my suitcase. Our peanut is such an awesome traveler!  She did great on the planes; we used our Tula Toddler Carrier for the first time and it was a game-changer.  She could see everything and was nea...

I like to be busy.  I'm talkin' crazy-making busy.  It forces me to get my shit together and use time management and maybe stop wasting so much time on Pinterest and Facebook (by the way, you guys need to update more frequently while I'm on vacation -- yawn) to accomplish something   And deadlines?  Ooooh, I live for deadlines.  I mastered the art of completing a 12-page paper due at midnight no earlier than 11pm.  Less room for second guessing. Alas, I'm pretty sure those days of grad school are behind me as I prepare to begin this cohort at Erikson to earn my Infant Toddler Specialist certificate.  I suspect I won't have much time for a life between continuing to work my typical 50 hour week, going to school (and actually getting something from it), trying to make a tiny human, and finishing the NAEYC process.  What's that you ask?  What did I just say?  Finishing NAEYC?  Going to school? Oh, that tiny human bit? ...

Perhaps I'm going about this "vacation" thing the wrong way.  I caught myself yesterday thinking that I really wanted to have something to "show" for the time spent at home, like I needed a receipt to prove I did something while I was off of work.  Then I started to think about all the times I've reminded those close to me, especially my work family, how important the process is rather than the product. Vacation should be more of a state of mind than a product.  Sure, I won't end my 2 weeks with a tan (though the Midwest has had stranger weather patterns) and maybe I won't write the next great American novel, but what's important is that I allow myself the time to decompress and find my inner peace.  I have a suspicion that my desk and inbox will look scary upon return and for me, it's most important that I be prepared to tackle the challenges with a more relaxed mind frame. So I guess I'm pretty lucky that I didn't get a single p...

Mrs. Porch's Wish List of Shit to Accomplish (So poetic): I'll just go ahead and cross these off as I finish them... and if I know myself the way I think I do, I'll be adding things I accomplish that weren't on the list, just to be able to cross them off. Clean & organize the guest bedroom closet Organize the craft room Organize our closet Read an entire professional development book Make a dinner I find on Pinterest Complete a sewing project Complete any project Read [at least] one non-professional development book Spring clean this joint Finish my first NAEYC portfolio Let my mind wander

I've officially been on vacation for 2 hours and 15 minutes and already am drawing comparisons between my coffee cup & Essie nail polish (they're identical and I kind of love it).  Clearly, I need some bigger ideas of what makes a good staycation because the joy of having my morning coffee from a "real" mug as opposed to my customary travel mug is kind of weaning. They are almost a 100% match. Mint Candy Apple by Essie for curious minds. I already considered, now 2 hours and 18 minutes in, going into the office to see if I forgot to do anything.  Nothing would drive my team crazier faster than my popping in all week to check in on them so I'll just keep waiting for them to call or write or miss me... I assume this is what parenting feels like, no?  Whatever. In an effort to save my sanity as well as Porch's, perhaps I should construct a wish list of shit I'd like to accomplish while off of work for this 2 week window.   Side note:  I don...

It's been a while since Los Porchs got away to somewhere warm (preferably hot) with a sandy beach and drinks with umbrellas in them.  My parents graciously took us along for their adventure back in January of 2011 which is actually the trip where we embraced the name Los Porchs and frankly ran with it (as evidenced here). Pretty cute, right? So young.  Well, let's not get carried away. We've been chatting about attempting to leave again and do something all-inclusive and fun.  Those chats recently ended because Rover, Porch's beloved LR3, recently needed some sweet, sweet mechanic lovin' and emptied our Vacation Fund.  I also had to fork over my reserves to get the Kia Pet new tires and brakes.  I'm pretty glad I did that though because the snow and ice in our alley is a bitch to deal with now, with the new set-up so I can't even imagine how bad it could have been! Plan B involves us patiently waiting to do our taxes and praying to ta...

Here's a fun fact:  an out-of-state fishing license in Wisconsin is over-the-top expensive. This is the first year that I've purchased a license, since Momma Bear & Dad are on such a nice little lake, it seemed necessary.  Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I bought it because I had a lot of fun fishing, but was insulted that I have now officially become a FIB. We arrived up north late Thursday evening (technically Friday morning) and were exhausted but thankful to have avoided most of the holiday traffic.  Had a quiet morning and went into town to do some grocery shopping and stopped to pick up the aforementioned fishing license.  Porch & I journeyed with Mom to Wabeno to do some shopping at the thrift store and found some new places.  Porch found a great new hat and I am convinced he looks like Earlie from Squidbillies (see below). Spent the day hanging out with Mom & Dad and headed to Beaver's for their fish fry.  ...