Something(s) I'm Looking Forward To

Remember that "30 days of blogging" list I was working on? This is day 10:

• Getting my current house packed up.
• Receiving and signing the lease for the new rental.
• Unpacking.
• Going to Ikea.
• Settling in so I can start crafting more.
• Exploring a new city.
• Visiting family.
• My first concert (Sara Bareilles & Joshua Radin).
• Harry Potter.
• The birth of my dearest friend's new baby boy.
• Having an address to mail things to. ;)
• Getting to know my fellow bloggers.

What are somethings you're looking forward to?

Something(s) I Miss

This is Day 9:

There is a small handful of people at the top of this list, but I don't want this blog to become so sentimental it's not fun to read. Besides, there are tons of other things that deserve some attention too.

I miss Pudding Pops.

A few years ago I was super excited to stumble across these in a local Safeway. I loved them when I was a kid and had forgotten all about them. Unfortunately they've disappeared from there as well. If you know where I can find them please let me know.

I miss long road trips.

As I mentioned earlier this week, we've spent a lot of time in our car lately, but each time our destination has been less than five hours away. I miss the kind of road trips I used to take with my family. The kind where you spend multiple days in the car surrounded by pillows, blankets, and snacks. The kind where you just stop at every dinky attraction that catches your eye and pick where to end the day at random. I would love to simply drive to Texas for our annual Austin visit, but with gas prices as high as they are now this is probably the most expensive way to travel.

I miss the original Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Ponies, and Care Bears.

Seriously. These "new" versions are ridiculous. Not even my tot wants to watch them.

I miss chalkboards in classrooms and snail mail letters.

Don't get me wrong, I love technology. I'm currently blogging from my couch and checking FB on my phone, while Netflix is playing in the background. Okay, I'm not actually neglecting my daughter that much but you get the idea. I am saturated in technology. I really do mean it when I say I love it. Even so, I still feel a little sad knowing our children will never run their fingers through the chalk dust at the blackboard or lick a stamp. The more the world changes the more I find myself having those "when I was your age" moments.

Getting Back On Track & Short-term Goals

Jeezy creezy! The last two weeks have been crazy. I feel like we were in constant motion. Everything that has been simmering came to a boil all at once, and we did our best not to let anything burn (except maybe ourselves). We endured ants, exterminators, emergency vet visits, heart wrenching goodbyes, and multiple days in the car. Simultaneously we enjoyed birthday surprises (with lots of birthday cake), precious quality time with loved ones, a family bike ride through the trees, the Oregon Zoo, dinner with dear friends, and the thrilling glimpse of opportunity. It was chaotic, but definitely time well spent.

Now, after sleeping for the majority of the last three days, I feel ready to return to the land of the living and my wee little blog. I have a few ideas brewing, but for now I'll return to our regularly scheduled program (aka the 30 days) with short-term goals.

This is Day 8:

• Get the songs from Tangled out of my head. Seriously.
• Tell friends and family about this blog because so far I've been too chicken.
• Lose weight. (I have a lot to get rid of, so this is both a short and long-term goal.)
• Make the tot an Easter basket.
• Work on list of crafts!!
• Put together boxes for thredup.com.
• Work on the backyard.
• Help the hubs find a job, find a place to live, and move to Portland.
• Get my hands on more spice tea from Republic of Tea.

Something I Rarely Leave the House Without

This is Day 7:

When I leave the house I am usually toting the typical large lady bag, and it is usually sufficiently stuffed. Within you will find my cell phone, keys, and lip gloss among a slew of other things. I believe that's pretty much the norm in our society. However, that's not all I take with me when I exit my abode ... I rarely leave my house without my little one, "ELA".

For a little over two years now I've been fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mom, and loved every second of it. Yes, I have the moments where I'm surprised not to find myself flinging her out a window, but even those are precious. As anyone with children will tell you, it goes way too fast. I'd gladly have an entire year of tantrums if it meant she'd stay small a little longer. 

Since I've yet to be offered such a deal, she continues to grow, and I continue to miss my baby while adoring the little girl she's becoming. It's because of all these fleeting moments that she accompanies me more often than not. Even though I love listening to the music in my car without worrying about the volume and little ears, I love hearing her "sing along" with the songs so much more. Therefore, when I gather up my things and prepare to go out into the world it's not something I rarely leave without, but a very special someone.

Something(s) That Terrify Me

This is Day 6:

Instead of focusing on one fear, and letting this post become depressing, I'm going to make a little list. Some of these things terrify me to the core, others are worrisome, and some just give me the heebee jeebees.

• losing a loved one
• the ocean
• spiders 
• not being the mother my daughter deserves
• always living a plane ride away from family
• my pcos
• earthquakes
• taking people for granted
• becoming stagnant
• falling through ice
• other creepy bugs
• looking out into the dark

A Photo of My Best Friend

This is Day 5:

When I put this prompt on the list I had intended on using it as an excuse to gush about my husband. I mean, who isn't married to their best friend? I know I am (love you, honey). However, this portion of the list just happened to fall on March 23rd, so I'm going a different direction. While the hubs is still my number one, I'm going to quickly brag about another amazing gent in my life - my brother.

When I was about four I asked for a baby brother and actually got one. For years I considered him "my baby". When he started to walk he became my crash test dummy, my biggest annoyance, and my favorite playmate. As we've grown he's been my bodyguard, the keeper of my secrets, and my greatest friend. Since we've entered into adulthood he's walked me down the aisle, lugged a million moving boxes, and accepted the role of godfather to his little niece. He's always held a very special, very large, portion of my heart and no one who knows him would ever question it. He's just that awesome. 

My brother, Colt.

I chose to showcase him today because it was exactly 27 years ago that we met for the first time. Happy Birthday, Bub! 


If you'd like to know more, please visit the blog of this extraordinary wife (whom I stole this photo from).

A Place I've Traveled To

This is Day 4:

Lake Tahoe

Growing up our family vacations were always road trips. My parents took the long way and took their time. As a result, we were able to see Mt. Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, the Corn Palace, Canada, and every dinky roadside attraction between Idaho and Ohio. It was fabulous.

As an adult I have yet to have the finances to go as far as I'd like. I've never made it across the country, let alone overseas. Now, with a family, it's going to take even more money and planning, but have complete faith we'll make it at some point. 

Even though I haven't gone a great distance, I haven't exactly stayed home. Once upon a time I took a cruise to Mexico, I've worked in Yellowstone, and every year we journey to Austin to visit family. Also, my husband and I love road trip/mini-vacations, so we vacate this valley as often as our wallets allow. 

The fact that we're fans of cheap travel came in handy after financing our own wedding. We didn't have much to work with, but we had a car, so we spent an entire week in a little house on top of a mountain near Lake Tahoe. It was amazing, beautiful, and probably the best trip we've been on (yet anyway). Remembering that time, coupled with the photo above, is starting to make me feel like this year we may need to return. Hmmm ...

A Picture of Something That Make Me Happy

This is Day 3:


This was kind of hard since over the next 27 days there will be a lot of my personality revealed, and I didn't want to sound like a broken record. For this post I chose ...

SNOW!

I spent the first 13 years of my existence in Idaho where I totally took the wondrous white stuff for granted. Now that I'm an Oregon resident even the slightest dusting makes me giddy.

Last Five FB Statuses.

This is Day 2:  

• I've followed the crowd and lost my contacts - please text me your number if you'd like to remain friends.  

• Yay! We have internet again! :)

• ELA* is so enamored with her new Pez dispenser she doesn't even realize it's supposed to be filled with candy.

• Pondering/planning tattoos ...

• Just downloaded Words with Friends. If anyone wants to play my username is cheyanders. :)

* I don't plan on posting a lot of personal info about my offspring on here, so I changed her name in status three to her initials. 

P.S. I swear I'm not really as boring as these suggest.

Introduce Yourself With 15 Facts.

I'm going to use a little mash-up of various "30 days of blogging" lists in order to get the 'ole blog ball rolling. This is Day 1:

• My name is Cheyloe Anderson.
• This is my third, and final, attempt at blogging.
• I am the mother of a hilarious little girl (she's two).
• I am the wife of an equally entertaining husband.
• I live in and love the state of Oregon, but I'm not fond of the Rogue Valley.
• Once upon a time I was a dancer, and I'd love to be again.
• Embroidering by hand is my new favorite hobby.
• I long for serious crafting skills.
• I find grocery shopping kind of exciting now that I've started clipping coupons.
• I am trying to be healthier.
• I recycle and try to "be green" and buy organic.
• Listening to music always put me in a better mood. 
• I hate to cook, but I love to bake.
• I don't borrow books, I prefer to buy them.
• Like every blogger, I would love to be paid to write.