It's electric- boogie woogie woogie

Sunday night: That big, red cloud came to rest above my house. The photo below was taken around midnight; that's how much lightning there was in the sky. Like a creepy dawn. Miles didn't make a peep, though the dogs were wigging out. Can't same that I blame them.

Taking the long way home on Sunday

How I want to move to Rocketts Landing... Brick and iron. Breathing taking. I'm sure I couldn't even afford to attend a party there, but a girl can dream. Right???

Sad Local News

Anybody who has spent time in Williamsburg has certainly eaten at Sal's. Sadly, it was destroyed in a fire. I've linked an article. Jesse is distraught over the loss of the Chicken Victor dish. Hopefully, a new Sal's will pop up soon.

Status Check

1. I'm now hooked on making my own popsicles with juice. Ceres' mixed passion fruit makes bomb frozen treats!

2. My dental appointment went splendidly. No cavities for me; Miles teeth are looking fine. Though I floss and use fluoride near religiously, I always get a wee bit nervous at cleanings.

3. Miles fought sleep until 11:30 last night. He was out tonight at 8:00

4. I got a new teaching position today!!! I couldn't be happier; this will be a big change from my last position, but a change I am eagerly looking forward to. More details to come.

In the words of the legendary and iconic Ice Cube, "I gotta say it was a good day."

STAYcation

Yep, our summer vacation has become a staycation. The timing just wasn't right for making any big trips, for multiple reasons. Kiddo's ears still aren't back to normal, so we are headed into the ENT next Monday. And tomorrow- drum roll please- our first visit to the dentist. I'm getting my chompers cleaned, and Jesse gets to take Miles back for his first check-up. Concerns include his never-ending teething tantrums and grinding, loud and skin-crawling grinding. Aside from these quick medical detours, our staycation has been chock full of quasi-local museums and outings. I guess when you live in a destination location, there is no need to leave. Once the air cools off again, we'll head back to Busch Gardens and hang out in the Sesame Street section, which houses the cutest splash zone. And if the heat doesn't break soon, we'll head back to the Living Museum. Last week we went, and Miles saw his first IMAX film. And if we lived closer, I'd totally splurge on an annual membership to the Children's Museum of Richmond. As the pictures indicated, we all had an amazing time. So this staycation business is a pretty sweet deal after all... too bad I didn't think of the term first.

Another day, another museum

The museum's exterior.

We played a bit outside with their echoing sculpture.

Miles playing in the wee-one section

I want this mirror. I'll even let Miles play with it. : )

Jesse gave his first driving instruction lesson, "Go to the gas!"

Art room hi jinx- I made flame-throwing glasses.

Our specs were definitely funky.

Tunnel O' Miles

Several shots for their live-feed newsroom

Our headlines tonight...

My all time favorite news team (and the cutest ever!!)

(If I ever have another child, I am saving this photo as a disclaimer come feeding time.)

Barnyard Fun Time!

Bessie, the silent type.

Miles likes his milk bottled at the source.

The ultimate splash table!

Downtown Richmond houses the gem destination, Children's Museum of Richmond. It was cool when I was a youngster, and it still rocks. Miles had a blast and a half! Jesse and I enjoyed the ride, too. Having Miles around gives us a chance to be young again; to re-experience such discoveries is one of the biggest perks of parenting. That and having an awesome kid to cuddle.

Party Pictures

Parties are great reasons to buy flowers.

Miles examining his cool new sea life window jellies.

One step at a time. With back-up help, of course..

The chase is on!

The Proud Papa.

Bang-Bang-Bang!

"I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMiles, " says Liloo.

Trying to solve the gift bag mystery... do I want the toy or the tissue paper?

Miles finally opted for the toy, his new buffalo we're calling Bill.

Baby Drum Circle time!

The Grandparents.

Ummm... this looks entirely too green and healthy.

Happy Re-birthday Miles!!!

One year ago, Miles was in UVA's PICU recovering from open heart bypass surgery. He had a ventricular septal defect-large and right pulmonary stenosis repaired. Within hours of the operation, he was off of the ventilator and squirming. He was a champ, and his attending nurse said that my son is not a cheap drunk.

Yesterday, our family had a quiet (is it ever with Miles around??) celebration to say thanks and take in the miracle which is this child's life. Much love and thanks to all of you out there that read and followed his heart surgery. I go back and re-read your comments all of the time. And they still make me cry but in a good way, a moving and humbling way.

Today, we're snacking on Rice Chex and having a Warren Zevon dance party. "He's the heavy-handed gent who ran amok in Kent..." A-ooooooooooooo! Miles is doing the "Werewolves of London" as a I type! He's now a vibrant and sprightly little boy; watching him go from a tiny and tired infant to a toddling, teething munchkin still takes my breath away. On March 3, Miles celebrates his birthday. July 25 will be the day we honor his rebirth, his second chance at life.

Thank you doctors, nurses, family, and friends. This was truly a team effort. Go TEAM MILES!!!

Hip Hip Hooray for the Heart

Last night I was thinking about this .

Today my mind lingers here .

We are holding a little shindig this afternoon with the grandparents, a little celebration for Miles' Amazing Heart. I'm even going to bake* something. That lets you know that this is a big deal.

*I'm a bit nervous about baking (in general) with rice flour, but I found cake mix and frosting mix that fits into Miles' diet. I'll take a bite but not much more because rice flour-based goodies are quickly turning into "substances" I do not heart, except for those pretzels. Man, are they tasty!

Do not adjust your TV set

This was shot in the dark, so you'll have to use your imagination and your ears. Let me set the scene: It's night three of the Snore War (my new moniker for Miles' latest sleep strike); Miles and fam are rolling down the Colonial Parkway at 10:15. The bags under the adults' eyes match the color of the footage. The source of said exhaustion is captured in the above video clip, and he's having a blast!

How did the night end? Face down in a bag of burritos. Jesse broke down and drove to Taco Bell after we completed the entire Parkway. Miles fell asleep mid-order during the border run. Luckily, the sound of Jesse's crunch wrap didn't stir the muchacho. By the way, I have this new theory. Miles is not teething; he's a vampire. Awake at night, biting mommy with precision and aim whenever the mood strikes him. He hates gluten-free garlic bread and braided silver chains. Yep, this looks like a case for Sookie Stackhouse. (I just finished (devoured) book 8, and I begging to get HBO.)

Grrrr...

We are smack dab in the middle of another AWFUL night. Miles is tired, furious, and refusing comforting. He wouldn't fall asleep in the rocking chair with me. His nighttime bottle only seemed to wake him up even more. What else could I do? I laid him down in his crib and hoped he could sort this out on his own. Nope. He's now screaming, and it's after ten o'clock. Jesse, whom I can hear on the monitor, is retrieving the far-flung binkie and whispering hushes. Me, I'm sitting here typing and feeling frustrated. Please tell me that this is related to teething, to those blasted bits of calcium which are slowly slicing their way in, taking their leisurely time in doing so, and holding our evenings hostage. How can something so small hijack an entire family and its sanity? Miles is not acting like himself, and I am not liking myself at the moment- because this is getting very difficult. Fussiness during the day is a hill of beans compared to his nocturnal teething tirades; these bottom gum blitzkriegs are for the birds.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE CLARK!!!

My favorite brother is 25 years old today. Clark's position as number one bro has nothing to do with me having only one sibling. He's more than a brother; Clark is my best friend. Happy Birthday! We love you more than all the Transformers put together!

Sweet dreams?

I'm crabby, and a popsicle would make me feel a billion percent better. But nooooo- all of the rocket pops have been scarfed down by someone less grouchy and not attuned to my mopey feelings. Why am I being such a sour sport you ask? Even if you didn't ask, I'm gonna tell you anyways because I'm fussy and in serious need of a Firecracker or a Pop-Up. I just spent two hours trying to get Miles down for bedtime. Two hours of screeching, kicking, singing, hushing, pleading, bottle bribing... Miles is close to cutting two more teeth, and when those gums are pissed off, no one can rest. One quadrant of his mouth is battling a slow moving molar. Another quadrant looks like mouth bubbling building to burst. Gross image, but that's what it looks like to me. This round of teething has ushered in ear infections, snotty nostrils, and sour attitudes. That final side effect is contagious. Obviously.

I'm off to soothe my temper with some cut-rate, fat-free blood orange sorbet, a total impulse buy from a few weeks ago. So not what I was craving, but it is all the freezer gods had to offer. Woe is we.

Flickr and Blogger are not getting along with me.

Anyone out there handy with flickr? I'm trying to link my photos here as a slide show. However, blogger doesn't recognize my flickr account/ user name. What gives?

We are headed to Busch Gardens this afternoon. Send us good weather vibes, please. We could use a fun day in the luke warm sun.

Our Favorite Farm Grrrl

Obviously, Mother Nature looks good in tie-dye. And that's tie-dye straight outta the Haight. Honest, I was there when she purchased it. That was 7 years ago, almost to the day. Good times.

Inspiration from the farm

Maybe I could use this nifty device if I ever spawn again. Helen the calf is a big fan. I see many possibilities lying in wait. Just kidding, sorta.