Home Is...

I've lived in Indiana for almost four years now. I haven't lived in Detroit for almost five. But when I talk about "home," it's Motown I'm referring to.

Part of the reason, of course, is that my family is still there. All of my family. My parents still own the house I grew up in. When we stay with them, I still sleep in my old room. I drive the same roads, shop at (most) of the same stores, even eat at the same places.

It's all comfortingly familiar.

My oldest and best friends all live in Detroit too. Sure, I've made friends here, but none of those relationships go as deep, or have as firm a grip on my heart. I cherish every hour I get to spend with these special women.

But "home" is more than that.

It's the sound of a familiar DJ's voice on the radio.

It's the snap of cold that brings a flush to my face when I let my dog out at night.

It's bouncing through the potholes that litter the roads like land mines.

It's seeing more shiny new cars than a town as depressed as this one should be able to handle.

It's the exhaustion that comes after spending a day with all my nearest and dearest...

And the flash of anger that surfaces when someone I love irritates the heck out of me.

It's spending an hour chatting with my mom...

And two or three more at the mall.

I'm not always my best self while at home, but I am my real self. And that? Is what makes home, home. No matter how long I'm gone, I'll always miss it. Part of me will always wish I could go back - to stay.

But let's face it. That's not likely to happen anytime soon. And come February? Southern Indiana is a much nicer (and warmer) place to be.

Wordless Wednesday.

Well, not quite wordless. These gorgeous pics of my baby girl were taken by a good friend of mine over the weekend, and, well, I had to share. She also does weddings, so if you need a good photographer in the Detroit area, let me know. I'll hook you up.

Now, on to the Tori cuteness...

Don't Take Away Our Children's Right to Think.

I don’t usually talk about politics here. I am a die-hard, bleeding heart liberal, but I respect everyone’s right to think differently than me—and I don’t presume to have all (or any of) the right answers.

But the latest Obama-related outrage? The one where parents didn’t want to let their children hear the speech he gave to schools today? I don’t get it. In fact, it makes me all kinds of angry.

Your children are in school to learn. To be exposed to differing viewpoints and opinions. By refusing to allow them access to Obama’s speech, you are denying them their right to make up their own minds about what they believe. You’re teaching them that there’s no point in listening to people they don’t agree with. You’re showing them (by your actions), that it’s okay to be ignorant. And that? Is not acceptable.

This is the United States of America, people. An absolute commitment to free speech (and free thought) is one of our founding principles. Why would you teach your children to believe in anything less?

Of course, all this is assuming that there was anything actually objectionable in the speech. Anything political. But to my mind, there wasn’t. If you haven’t read, seen or heard it yet, go do it now. Then come back.

What did you think? I, for one, think kids could benefit from hearing things like:

“We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.”

And:

“Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.”

And can someone please tell me how this statement, “even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country,” is an expression of socialism?

It sounds an awful lot like another famous quote we’ve all heard. You know the one. The one that goes, “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

That's just my two cents.

The Weekend's Puzzle: How to Pack for a Road Trip with an Infant.

We just returned from a trip to the Homeland.  Usually, when I know I’m heading up to Michigan, I start thinking about what to pack a couple of days beforehand, but realistically? Clothes and toiletries get thrown in a bag about 30 minutes before we leave.

But now? Now there’s Victoria. I never realized how much stuff she needs until I started putting together a To Do (or to pack) list.

She needs clothes, of course. She also needs bottles. And bottle liners. And nipples. And formula. And rice cereal. Oh, and bibs (she’s a champion drooler/spitter). Which means she also needs burp cloths.

So, now we’ve got her clothed and fed. Which means she’s going to pee and poop. Better add diapers, wipes and a changing pad to the list.

Given the explosive poop she’s so good at expelling, she’s also going to need a bath. So now we’ve got a bag of towels, wash cloths, soap and bath toys to add to the pile.

She also needs a place to sleep. Luckily, my parents went ahead and bought a crib for her. But when we’re home, we’re out and about. A lot. And she naps rather frequently. So the Pack n’ Play still needed a spot in the car.

By the time we got to the entertaining-the-baby part of the list, my luggage pile was chest high. And have I mentioned that we took our 60-pound spoiled brat of a mutt, too?

Yeah. So we also had to find room for his food. And toys. And blanket (which is actually a queen-sized comforter).

Plus all our stuff—and we bring a lot of stuff (although my shoe inventory got cut drastically).

I’ll bet you’re thinking I have a big car, right? I thought so too, when I bought it. But it’s not really. A Dodge Caliber is only big when compared to a two-door midget car like my Beetle, or the del sol that came before it.

So fitting everything in the car was a bit of a trick (one that had my hubby swearing). But, at long last, we did make it all fit...and even had room for her car seat. Sure, I spent the entire eight hour trip with my knees in my chest because my seat was pulled so far forward, but who's counting?

I'm thinking our trip home for the holidays might require the rental of a van. A big one.

Top Ten Thursday: Reasons Fall Doesn’t Suck.

Today’s post idea is brought to you by My Messy Paradise. I saw her Top Ten Thursday entry for today and couldn’t help but add my two cents…

I love summer. Love it with a capital L. The heat, the sun, the sandals…all are things that make me happy. But fall? Fall is my second favorite season. If it wasn’t followed so quickly by all the ick that is winter, it might even overtake summer. Here are ten reasons why:

Falling leaves—I love everything about them. The color, the smell, the way they sound crunching under your feet…and I never outgrew my fondness for playing in them. Every year, I make it a point to jump in someone’s neatly raked leaf pile at least once.

Cider and doughnuts—Growing up in Michigan, trips to the cider mill were an essential part of the autumnal experience. Sure, the lines were always long, the bees were always overly plentiful and the prices were exorbitant, but those doughnuts? Were totally worth it.

Halloween—I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of the goofy fun that is Halloween. I still make a point to dress up most years, and of course, this year marks the return of trick or treating. So what if she can’t eat candy yet? We’re going!

Cozy sweaters—Sure, I hate having to put real shoes on. But the first day I get to pull one of my favorite old sweaters (ones that would surely get me stoned on What Not to Wear) almost make up for it.

My birthday—What’s not to love? It’s the one day a year that’s all about me!

Fireplaces—I’m echoing My Messy Paradise’s thought here. But I really do love sitting in front of a crackling fire. And now that we have a gas fireplace? All I’ve got to do is flip a switch and fire is mine!

Fresh apples—I know apples are in the grocery store all year round, but I refuse to eat them January through September. They just can’t compare to the juicy crunch of a really fresh apple.

My wedding anniversary—This October, we’ll have been together eleven (mostly) wonderful years, but that beautiful fall day will always remain fresh in my memory.

Chilly nights—I love burrowing under the covers on a cold night, the window bringing the sharp scent of fall into our room. It’s the best sleeping weather ever.

The beginning of hibernation—Most of the time, it’s cold and drab outside. Giving me all the excuse I could ever ask for to curl up on the couch with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa. Oh how I look forward to those days…yes I know I have a baby, but she naps! Don’t disillusion me, people!

Another Edition of Blog Love.

I had a post all written for tonight. But my husband made me delete it (apparently, it was TMI). So, instead, go read something interesting on these other fabulous blogs. Because I've got nothing. Nada, zilch, nechevo (that's Russian for nothing).

His Boys Can Swim—This couple started their blog when they got pregnant, and are now writing about the first weeks after baby's birth. She's dealing with some post partum depression right now, so go over there and give her some love.

Domestic Dork—I love this one for the name alone. But seriously, it's good snarky fun for everyone who values a little imperfection in their lives.

Bad Mommy Moments—Despite the title, this is a great blog by a very good mommy and all around funny lady.

Miss Britt—Another beautiful blog. Just go read it.

I Should Be Folding Laundry—Great blog with gorgeous pictures.

'Kay. Y'all have your marching orders. Just come back tomorrow, when I will post something my husband won't make me delete. Not that I'm bitter or anything. (yes, he is hiding upstairs, cringing as I slam my fingers into the keyboard...sometimes living with a redhead sucks).

Another Totally Random Tuesday.

Hello, everyone. And welcome to Random Tuesday in this little corner of the blogosphere.



Did you know swine flu is expected to kill 90,000 people this year? Yeah. I read that shortly after everyone in my house started to come down with a slightly flu-like illness. Internet, do I need to tell you how badly I freaked out at the thought of my not-quite-five-month-old coming down with the swine flu?

I don't think I do. But she doesn't. We don't. Have the pig, that is. It's just a garden variety cold. Or so her pediatrician assured me.

Here's another fun fact. SIDS kills 9 babies in the U.S. every day. I've tried very hard not to think about that particular statistic. But then, last week, someone on my BabyCenter board lost her little one to it. Suddenly,it became very real...

Whooo. This is a downer, isn't it? Here, watch a whistling puppy. It'll cheer you up:



There. Feel better? I do.

So I won't tell you all the useless statistics I know about other things that can kill you (health care advertising? Teaches you a lot of disturbing trivia). Instead, I'll tell you about the cute polka dot pants I bought Tori today. There's a brown fuzzy teddy bear on the butt (to hide other brown stains?).

Baby clothes? Are ridiculously cute. It's a good thing they're cheap, because I could easily spend a small fortune. Oh, and speaking of absolutely freaking adorable, check out this baby costume site. Tori needs one of everything.

Especially these:

Okay, I'm done being random. Don't forget to stop by Keely's place at the Un-Mom for more randomness!