Awkward and Awesome August

My friends, this summer felt incredibly long - in a good way. Maybe it's the fact Ingrid is a toddler and notices things like cow illustrations on yogurt containers ("Moo! Moo!") and since May, has gone from standing to waddling to walking.

The more she communicates and understands, the more I like her, and the more I like this toddler stage. We're get a little glimpse into her world - when she lets us know she's hungry or wants to play cupcakes (just make really loud lip-smacking sounds and pretend to eat a plastic cupcake. And then secretly pine for a real cupcake.)

Every block walked is a new opportunity to pick up leaves. Every trip to the grocery store is an adventure (and they have so many onions!).

This August, the summer finally slowed down and we all had a much more enjoyable time when we just took it easy and allowed these wonderfully awkward and awesome moments to happen:

Awkward: 

• Hair regrowth. Why didn't anyone warn me about sideburns and baby fuzz along my hairline during pregnancy? Pregnant ladies and moms-to-be, consider yourself warned. 
• Getting into the show Weeds six years later (boy do I miss cable). 
• Self check-outs. 
• Ingrid's bubble blowing skills. 

• The number of questions I asked during my first shellac manicure. Turns out it's just a super strong gel that lasts for weeks. It's pretty simple, why all the questions? 
• The amount of time I spent at Family Dollar. 
• Getting cable from a door-to-door saleslady. She had me at Bravo and "record up to four shows at one time." 
• Pictures of Ingrid while trying to hold her: 

Awesome: 

• Farmers market with Ingrid. The mini giraffe wanted to try the cinnamon roll too:

• The parade of kids that marched by playing the following instruments: recorder (natch), flute, drums, trombone and a trumpet. 
• Ingrid and I were paging through an Anthropologie catalog when she pointed at a model with a messy bun and proudly declared "Mama!" Sure Ingrid, we can roll with that today. 
• Feeding of (more) stuffed animals: 

• Trips to the Bay View Alterra, complete with duck races!

• Ingrid's growing love of the moon. She's loves to watch for it every night: 

As the summer comes to a close, I haven't yet embraced fall with open arms. Even though it's hands-down the best season for everything. I'm still holding onto sweet summer moments and loving my little lady during this wide-eyed wondrous stage. 

Awkward and Awesome

Without Mad Men, Sunday nights are back to their annoyingly-awkward self.

Whomp waaaaaaa.

Let's not be a pack of Debbie Downers and even dwell on that sad fact. Or, start down the path of "What do you think about ________ in Mad Men" line of questioning (although, I did love to read her spin on all-things Mad Men and seriously, what do you think of Megan Draper?)


This weekend was full of friendship-love, baby-snuggling, running around and literal running (and swimming, more on that later). Let's start the week off right with some awkward and awesome moments, shall we?

Awesome: 

• Clarisonic - simply an amazing facial scrubber. It's worth every cent! Ok, so I have a knock-off-Groupon version, but honestly, I've used the real deal and it's wonderful. 
• Brunch and Brady Street with Dan. 
• Ingrid's budding sense of humor. 
• Brats, beer and the Brewers.  
• Snuggling with new, two-week-old baby (too cute!) Jackson  
• Proposals - During a morning run, I passed over a chalk scavenger hunt. By reading the clues, it was clear that someone was trying to get their ex-girlfriend back - or it was an elaborate and low-cost marriage proposal. As I reached the top of the hill, and noticed dude in dress pants, I assumed the latter and started on an embarrassingly long line of questioning.
  
  Turns out, he had arranged for his friend to get his girlfriend (now fiance, perhaps! hopefully!) out of bed and videotape her along the way to capture this special moment. I was bursting with excitement for this stranger and creepily wanted to turn around, catch up to her and see the proposal in action.
  
  Ok, that was a long bullet point, thanks for reading. Moving on. 

Awkward 

• Realizing that the majority of the above Awesome list could fall into the Awkward category. 
• Dan agreeing to get hot chocolate. Then spilling what I assume was the best hot chocolate ever all over the carpet. This is maybe the second time I've seen him spill anything, ever. (Awesome: he went out for another hot chocolate and it was awesome). 
• Parking tickets. Three in three weeks. That's a new pair of shoes, City of Milwaukee! Grrrrr. 
• Getting carded. Then spending about three minutes wrestling with my wallet to get my ID out.
• Ordering Dan's Father's Day gift on Father's Day. 
• Forgetting the names of Ingrid's daycare teachers (in my defense, there are roughly four Meghans). 
• Spilling coffee on myself. Then, on my keyboard. And finally, while walking upstairs (probably not the smartest move on my part, to walk up three flights of stairs with a full cup of coffee).

Awkward and Awesome Bonus: 

Ingrid likes watermelon smiles.
I'm not sure if that's a real term or not, but in this kitchen - it's smiles or nothing.
Don't you even think about giving her a watermelon cube. Ingrid turns her nose up at silly ideas like eating watermelon via cube-shape or fork. 

Ingrid has to bring a lunch to daycare. Her old hand-me-down lunch box was huge, dirty and had a 3-foot long strap that always wrapped around other lunch boxes in the daycare refrigerator. This little new lunch sack has become one of Ingrid's favorite things in like, 14 months. Bonus, it totally goes with her outfit in a subtle "not-too-matchy" kinda way.

Awkward and Awesome

Summer is almost here - let's roll up our sleeves and dig in. 

While at a White Sox's game yesterday I was this close to having a hot dog, but resisted the temptation because it didn't feel right. We were in a fancy restaurant in the stadium, and honestly, who can eat a hot dog on a white plate? With a tablecloth? Weird. Hot dogs are hot dogs and brats are reserved for tailgates. 

I've also been rationing the cucumber vodka using the bizarre logic of: "Is it hot enough for cucumber vodka? I don't want to get sick of this come August..." 

I'm treating brats and liquor like fine China. 

Maybe it was the short winter. Maybe it's the realization that this summer is not like last summer (i.e. new infant, no job, nursing every 2-4 hours). Or maybe it's because Ingrid is growing at a rapid pace. But everything feels slightly askew and I know we're entering uncharted territory with a toddler. Which feels terribly awkward in the moment and amazingly awesome in memory. 

Awkward: 

• Finding mashed up peas on your shirt late in the workday. Then silently recalling that it was actually avocado from lunch. Then blame it on your daughter to a group of people who have since moved on from said "mashed up peas."  
• A massage in a wood-paneled room (thanks Groupon)! 
• Getting busted for playing Words with Friends.
• Being awkwardly terrible at Words with Friends.  
• Tripping not once, not twice, but three times in rapid succession while running by a group of people. 
• Not so much awkward as it was depressing - burning a batch of caramel corn. 

Awesome: 

• Husband being done with school (for now). As much as I loved the discussions around essay revisions and sign language quizzes, I'm happy to have my calm, cool and collected husband back. 
• Bright lipstick and top knot hairdos. 
• Hide and seek with Ingrid. Just don't go too far or someone (Ingrid) gets panicky. 
• This knock-off Panara Thai Chicken Salad Recipe. 
• Ingrid's joyful state while splashing around the kiddie pool. Post pool-time smile, also awesome: 

And one of the most awesome moments of all - Ingrid taking her first few steps.

Not to belabor the point, but it does feel a bit awkward to think this small feat is so awesome. But with true sincerity, seeing her take her first(ish) wobbly (or some might say, awkward) steps was such a proud, emotional and (dare I say, awesome) moment.

(that sentence was "Ugh, I'm like, crying." Classic Mom.)

Awkward and Awesome

Awesome: This Face. 

Awesome and Cheap: Baked Pumpkin Steel Cut Oatmeal

Awkward: No Bake Energy Bites.
Lesson learned, if you want cookies, bake cookies. 

Awkward: The number of times I think about donuts on a daily basis. 

Awkward
- Knees crunching as I walk up 3 flights of stairs multiple times per day at work. And awkwardly calling attention to my crunching knees.
- Not knowing the floaters at daycare. "Megha...ah, Kristin...Kristina? Ingrid has more wipes in her locker."
- Safely removing a wet swimsuit off of Ingrid post-swimming lessons.
- My stylist referring to me as Laura Ingalls Wilder as I walk into the salon.
- Ingrid getting sick for the first time, ever. Not really awkward, but her little sick face is so heart-breaking.


Awesome
- Brunch at Zak's cafe.
- Getting our new free TV from Glamour. It even has the internet!
- Ryan Gosling in Drive (minus the super violent scenes).
- Have I talked about doughnuts (or donuts) yet? Cakey, sugary, warm and amazing.
- Ingrid pulling herself up and then rocking in place. In my mind she's saying "I'm standing. I love it! I'm standing! I love it." 
- Dan adding a new workout playlist to the iPod.
- Outlet shopping. Correction, solo outlet shopping.

Lets here it - share your awkward and awesome moments.

Awkward and Awesome

One of my favorite bloggers and new mama at The Daybook
shares her awkward and awesome moments and her fantastic style here.

Here are this week's awkward and awesome moments:

Awkward and Awesome: Ingrid's dance moves. 

Awkward
- To save a few bucks, I treated myself to a facial at the Aveda school. Do you know what's not relaxing? Laying on a spa table half-naked with 10 other people in the same room.
- Running so hard that my face is red from the effort - three hours later. Also awkward - having to assure the grocery store clerk that I am indeed, seriously OK.
- Living room yoga with a giggling Ingrid. This is also awesome.
- Cooking in the dark. Ingrid's room is off of the kitchen, so, at times, we're forced to quietly cook in the kitchen as Ingrid babbles herself to sleep.

Awesome
- Ingrid learning how to clap her hands.
- Winning a new TV from a random Glamour magazine contest! I know, I know - who wins these things? I'm still skeptical, because it has yet to arrive - but I'm hopeful that this isn't a hoax and I will no longer be able to say "I never win anything." Bah-bye enormous 1990-cube-TV!
- Brunch at Blue's Egg with Ingrid and friends. Bloody Marys, crab cakes, pankcakes for Ingrid and discussing It's a Brad Brad World. My kind of Saturday morning.
- Reading the third book of the Harry Potter series. This is also awkward.

Let's here it - share your awkward and awesome moments.