Nashville

Jeff and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Nashville, Tennessee! I had previously been there for a brief visit, and was excited to get back and explore the city even more. Since we did not have a car, it was a little challenging for us to get out of the tourist traps, but we seized the day and put on some smiles while listening to country music in the honky tonk bars on Broadway. These bands were all VERY talented, and we enjoyed ourselves despite the fact that we are not huge fans of country music.

I'm that person who flies across the country to take pictures of animals.

We stayed at the Omni Hotel, which is a brand spanking new hotel right across the street from the brand spanking new Music City Center. The employees there were super hospitable, and the rooftop pool (with a bar) was a HUGE bonus.

From the hotel, we were able to walk a few blocks and see some pretty incredible tourist attractions. My personal favorite was the Capitol Building. I would have taken pictures of the actual Capitol and the surrounding park, but my camera died...typical.

My favorite restaurant we visited was also within walking (a little over a mile) distance. A Facebook friend recommended Virgo for sushi, and I am glad she did. Not only was the food good, but the atmosphere was brilliant. In the words of Jeff, "This place is trying really hard to be cool...and it's working."

One evening, we decided to take a cab to explore a different area of town. We ended up at the Bluebird Cafe, which was recommended by a local who heard we were both musicians. You have to stand in line for a couple hours before you can enter. I was a little confused as to why there were so many tourists with fanny packs waiting, as the average American tourist does not typically go out of his/her way to stand around at a strip mall to hear 2 hours of music by no-name artists. I soon came to discover that the Bluebird is famous from the show Nashville. That definitely explained the square-peg-in-a-round-hole tourists: put something on TV and they will flock.

I would do a couple things different on my next trip. First, I would not use cabs to get around. We took a cab from downtown to the Bluebird and it cost us $25.00 (plus tip). However, we used the Lyft app to get back to the hotel, and the ride was only $10.00 (plus tip). This more affordable mode of transport could have given us the freedom to explore a bit more.

Here are some other local recommendations, which we did not get to visit but will definitely try the next time!

• The Patterson House for good drinks.
• Loveless Cafe for breakfast.
• Martins BBQ for eats, and apparently there are some good antique stores down the street.

Our trip was childless, and it was fun to discover that we still enjoy each other's company. Meanwhile, Everett didn't even know we were gone because he was having so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa.

And since we have been home, I have been hooked on the show Nashville. It is way better than I expected. I am tempted to subscribe to Hulu Plus just so I can watch more episodes, and I cannot wait for the new season to start!

Parental Strife: Round One Million

Sorry for the radio silence. Our calendars have been filled to the max! I usually reserve this space for funny and happy things, but sometimes life makes this challenging. Sometimes we have to be sad! I mentioned a few weeks ago that we lost our nanny very suddenly. The events which lead up to this were heartbreaking, shocking, and stress-inducing. The transition has been incredibly taxing for our family, especially during this time of year when I do a lot of freelance wedding work on the weekends. We have been overwhelmed trying to get childcare figured out while attempting to show up to work sans Bebe, and the brain can only be so creative when a person is spread too thin.

It's funny how after you have a child, suddenly the most important person in your life (behind family) becomes your childcare provider. It seems a little backwards that you can't function as a person without someone else to watch your child, but that's just the way the world is for the working parent. And people who don't have kids do not seem to realize how important childcare workers are, so they put their information on Care.com and/or Craigslist, go through the interview and background check process, then inform the employer they are only interested in being a nanny for a week to make some extra money before they move to a different city. In conclusion, this process gave me hives and acne, and I seriously considered finding a witch doctor to summon a pox on these ladies' families.

We have spent so much energy finding a nanny, rather than putting Everett in a daycare, for a couple reasons. Firstly, getting a nanny has been cheaper for us than sending Everett to a daycare because we share the nanny with another family, which cuts the price in half. Secondly, daycares are petri dishes, and no one can argue that fact. Finally, many nannies will run errands for you, clean your house, do the dishes, make dinner, and take your kiddos on an unlimited amount of field trips. So for a fraction of the price, you have a 2/1 ratio of attention (as opposed to 12/1), someone cooks and cleans for you, and your child gets sick less frequently. Who wouldn't choose this? The only problem is getting the right fit for both families, but once you find that perfect person it is WORTH it.

And the good news? We found her! She's a friend of a friend, and both families feel she will be perfect.

Walking back to work from our interview with her, I felt a huge weight lifted from my shoulders (yes, I had to take time off work to interview all those duds people). I glanced around at my surroundings and noticed, for the first time in weeks, the gorgeous flowers thriving in the Spokane summer sun. I had to stop and stare at the colors. I had been so stressed over childcare that my vision was literally fogged. There was all this beauty and vibrancy around me, and I could not even appreciate it because life was so topsy-turvy.

So here we are today, emerged from the rabbit hole, happy and healthy, seeing colors once again! (However, if the new nanny calls me tomorrow and tells me it won't work out, I will vomit everywhere.)

BUT, now let's focus on happy things! And how could I not be happy when I got to hang out with some of my favorite people this weekend? And our house is finally getting in order. And I had time to garden. Everything's coming up ME!

 

All Glammed Up.

People, being a parent is ALL the glitz and glitter. Our family is so fabulous right now.

Yesterday, we went to the lake. 

We had some snacks. 

(Look at that Starbucks cup! How fancy are we? So fancy!)

We took a dip in the water.

And THEN...

Everett swallowed so much lake water that he threw up.

The vomit drifted in the water for some time...

...until we watched water fowl gobble it up.

 

Isn't life grand?

(You're jealous.)