Wordful Wednesday: For the Love of a Car.

As a third-generation Motor City gal, I can't help but love cars. After all, the automotive industry is literally what keeps that city moving (or sends it screeching to a halt). But I never really loved my own cars. They were just the things that got me from Point A to Point B (when they weren't busy breaking down by the side of the road).

Until this beautiful little girl entered my life:

That, my friends, is the Bluebird—a Honda del sol. She was fast (I routinely broke 100 mph, no sweat),  sexy, and best of all...

...convertible.

The Bluebird was the first car I ever bought myself. I had my first full-time job at a publishing house down in the city, and the '83 Thunderbird I was driving just wasn't cutting it. So I asked my Dad to help me find a new one.

I was pretty sure he'd locate a bunch of safe, snore-worthy sedans.

So when we pulled up to the seller's house and he pointed her out to me, my jaw hit the floor. A sports car? For me? No frigging way.

But he was serious, and before I knew it, I was in the driver's seat, putting her through her paces. By the time I got to third gear, I was head over heels in love. I bought that car just as fast as my bank would let me and never looked back.

We had many an adventure, the Bluebird and I.

We risked death on a daily basis, weaving in and out through the rage-fueled rush hour traffic that clogs Detroit's highways.

We plowed through snowdrifts, fighting our way through blizzards that stranded all but the toughest vehicles.

We raced thunder storms, speeding ahead of the raindrops that threatened to ruin our topless fun.

But best of all were the laid-back days when the sun shone brightly down and the wind whipped through my hair, my joyous laughs mixing with the happy purr of her engine. 

She saw me get married.

Watched as I moved into my first home.

She put up with 2 by 4s being threaded through her back window and flats of flowers getting piled six deep in the passenger seat.

She was a trooper.

But eventually it was time to say good bye. It was the age of Monster SUVS and 50-mile commutes. I no longer felt safe in her diminutive interior—and she was getting old. After one too many ridiculously expensive repair bills, I put her up for sale.

A buyer was quickly found (old or not, she was still sexy, yo). 

But before I gave her up, I insisted on taking one last drive. We wandered aimlessly through the streets of my hometown, alternately speeding down expressways and moseying over country roads. And all the while, I cried. Oh, how I cried.

The Bluebird, she was the automotive love of my life. And on days like this? When the sun beats down and summer beckons?

I still miss her terribly.

Now, go visit our hostess:

Wordful Wednesday: Twelve Months.

Well, Internet, we made it. On Saturday, Tori will be one whole year old. I thought this achievement deserved official portraits, but haven't had much luck with our local portrait studio. Here's proof.

So instead, we headed out to a particularly picturesque garden nursery in town and had our own impromptu photo shoot. The results were pretty awesome, if I don't say so myself.

First we spent some time checking out the nursery's fish pond. It took a while to draw her attention away from the brightly colored koi, but the results were worth it, don't you think?

Then we plunked her inside this handy pot. She drew quite the audience while taking this picture, thus the big smile (she loves to be the center of attention).

Then we set her loose in the lawn and did our best to keep up with her. She crawled around, giggling like a maniac...

But when she found an interesting looking stick, she actually sat still for a minute.

And this one? Well, I don't know when we took this one, but it's pretty cool, isn't it?

Take that, Sears Portrait Studio. You are dead to us.

There is more Tori goodness, but I won't bore you with the rest. Instead, head over to Seven Clown Circus for more Wordful Wednesday fun!

Wordful Wednesday: Eleven Months.

While it seems like just yesterday that I was holding Tori in my arms for the first time, in reality it's been almost a year. And that little baby I fell in love with? Is fast becoming a toddler.

She can brush her own hair (at least she likes to think she can).

She can stand on her own two feet.

She can even climb up into a chair.

But when I see her smiling face...

And look into her big blue eyes...

I know no matter how big she gets, she'll always be my baby girl.

Nearly Silent Sunday.

I have one word for you - hope.

Those are daffodils, folks. Spring's definitely on the way! Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to go back outside and enjoy the warmish weather while it lasts.

Wordful Wednesday: Ten Months.

My little Tori is ten months old today. Ten months. That means she's been out of my belly longer than she was baking inside it. In two more months, she'll be a whole year (look at me, I can do math!). It seems unbelievable...

She's not real big on posing for pictures anymore.

 

She'd rather stand and play with her toys.

In fact, you almost have to trap her to get her to sit still.

But every once in a while, you can still catch one that makes it worth the trouble.

Here's to ten months of adventure. Who knows what the next ten months will bring?

Wordful Wednesday: Four Generations Together.

My grandma, as it's well known, is not usually a very nice person. Her face is set in a frown so often, we've been known to warn her that it's in danger of getting stuck that way.

But for a few precious hours on Christmas Eve, she was transformed. She finally got to meet her  great granddaughter—and at the sight of her, she was so overcome with joy, she actually cried.


I'd never seen her be so patient. She didn't pick at my appearance (usually my weight is a prime topic), or badger my mother, or bad mouth the relatives who weren't present.

She just sat there and played with Tori, letting her grab her nose, her chin and even the glasses off her face. And the expression on her face?

I'll never forget the absolute love that shone from her eyes as Tori reached out to touch her cheek. I wasn't able to capture it on film (or on memory card), but that's the image that will stay with me as long as I live.

Now go visit the other participants at  Seven Clown Circus and see what they have to say for themselves!

Wordful Wednesday: The Christmas Tree Edition.

We have tons of ornaments for our Christmas tree. Tons. Brightly colored balls, snowflakes, bows...you name it, we probably own it. But there are a few special ones that always get a place of honor. The ones that have stories behind them, or mark a special time in my life.

This one was the first my husband and I ever bought together. We weren't married, or even engaged, but when he brought it up to the cash register, I knew we soon would be.

These two are part of a set we bought on our honeymoon. I agonized for days over whether or not to buy them - but finally decided I couldn't go home without them.

A friend gave this to us as a wedding present. It's just about my favorite ornament on the whole tree. We look so young...it really should be illegal for little kids to get married.

 

We got this the year we bought our first house. It was a shack, and we were broke beyond belief, but it was one of those rare moments in time when life seemed perfect.

 

Okay, so he's not an ornament. But I love him to death. I paid $17 for him, which I remember because I only had $23 left in the bank. That shopping trip was also the last time my mom and I managed to pull off a Serious Shopping Day - so you could say his purchase marked the end of an era.

 

This is the newest addition to our tree. I can just hear her, sometime in the future, saying "is that really me, Mom? Was I really that little?" I'm going to buy her her own ornament every year. Just a little tradition I'm starting...

 

I think she'll appreciate it. After she realizes that the ornaments are supposed to stay on the tree. I'm thinking it might be a few years.

And that brings us to the end of another Wordful Wednesday. Now head on over to Seven Clown Circus and get your fill of eye candy!
 

Holiday Card Dilemma.

For each of my 11 married years,  I've sent out your standard Christmas cards. The ones you find at Hallmark and Target and Borders. And I like them.

But now that we're a "family" and not just a married couple, I thought we should create a photo card, like all the other happy families do. Right? Right.

I even dragged my husband and baby to Sears to have the formal family holiday portrait taken (yes, I'm making myself barf from the saccharine too). Would someone remind me not to do that again? It was a nightmare.

But that's a story for another post.

At the end of the day, we came away with two pretty decent pictures. Pictures I fully intended to use on our holiday card.

This family portrait:

And this picture of Tori dressed in her Christmas finery:

 

 But yesterday, we were checking out the downtown Christmas decorations and snapped this picture:

Pretty adorable, right? And just begging for the caption, "Yes, Victoria, there is a Santa Claus."

So now I'm torn. Cheesy family portrait or this more creative option? I don't know what to do, and I have to decide fast. So I'm asking you, Internet. Which would you choose?

Mostly Wordless Wednesday: Me and My Sunshine.

I realize I'm a little biased. But my Tori? Is ridiculously adorable. So adorable, I sometimes wish I could freeze time and treasure moments like these for just a little while longer.

 

 

These are the moments that make all the screaming of the last few days worthwhile.

Wordless Wednesday: Tori's Latest Pose.

Smiling's for babies. Now, when Tori sees the camera, this is the pose I get.

 

Adorable, huh?

Wordful Wednesday: A Few of Her Favorite Things

Tori is surrounded by educational, developmentally correct toys. Things like stackers and blocks. Brightly colored things. Things that squeak and rattle and roll.

But you know what? Those are not her favorite things. These are.

That's a piece of paper she's got in her mouth. She loves paper - crunching it, shredding it...eating it.

That's a metal spoon. Plain old ordinary spoon.

 This is a cat toy. It's quite possibly her favorite thing in the whole world.

This, at least, is actually meant for babies. Teething babies. Like her.

Yep, another spoon. This one doubles as a drumstick. And a baton.

See, she does have real toys. Sometimes she even plays with them!

Now head over to Seven Clown Circus and see what other people have to say this week.

Wordful Wednesday: A Look Back.

As I may have mentioned a time or two before, Tori almost always has a camera in her face. So much so, in fact, that when she sees me pull out the camera, she starts to ham it up. And boy, does that girl have a smile...

At this point, we literally have hundreds of pictures of her. But there will always be a few that are my absolute favorites. So, in honor of her seven month birthday, I thought I'd share those with you. Some, indeed, most you've seen before, but indulge me, 'kay? Mama's feeling nostalgic today.
  
At  three weeks, she starred in her first photo shoot. This is the pic that took center stage on her birth announcement.

Here she is on her two month birthday. Couldn't you just eat her up?

 

At three months,  she was starting to smile for the camera.

 

By four months, she was practicing her tripod position.

By five? Blowing bubbles was the new sitting.

At six months, it was all about discovering what she could put in her mouth. This daisy was enjoying its last moments...

 


















And at seven months? Well, we don't have those pictures yet. She's newly mobile, so getting her to sit still is something of a trick. Hopefully, next weekend I'll manage to get her to stay in one place long enough to say "babababababa" for the camera.

After all, there's always next Wednesday... Now head over to Seven Clown Circus and check out the rest of this week's entries.