The Letter "U"

Unpleasant.

I saw a disturbing sign in the window of Taco Bueno yesterday. It said 50% off and then listed two food items. People, you should know by now that thrifty is my middle name, but 50% off at a fast food restaurant sounds like they are having a "clean out the leftovers day." Seriously, they could say "half-off", which is still bad, or "buy one get one free", or even "new low burrito prices!" but 50% off? I only want to see a percentage sign if I'm shopping at Old Navy or Gap. Sorry Taco Bueno but this bueno eating, thrifty girl thinks your ad looks like you are peddling out leftovers. Gross. I'd rather pay the extra dollar! 

Upchuck.

I hate this word. Who came up with it? Anyways, Anniston has reflux which either means never ending hiccups, choking while she is trying to eat, or projectile vomit. The upchuck. We have to hold her upright for at least thirty minutes after every meal, give her medicine in this little dropper (which Ryan loves to do because she makes such a sour face when he injects her with the little juice), and try to encourage her to suck on a pacifier so she can make enough spit to wash the acid down and out of her throat. 

The pacifier has saved us many vomity nights. But, paci's are tricky little buggers and they do not like to stay in the mouth. That's where Mr. Wubba Nub enters in. Meet Mr. Wubby Nubby. A new-mom friend gave us this as a shower gift and said it was the one thing she swore by: a soothie pacifier with a little plush animal attached with weighted legs to keep the pacifier in!!! Brilliant!!! Not only has it helped Anniston learn to grab and hold (she guards Mr. Wubby Nubby fiercely) but it has kept me from re-inserting the thing 30 times an hour. Grandma just bought us a pink pony wubba nub and I am hoping to collect a small army of these life-savers. Check them out at www.wubbanub.com and be looking for my baby list must-haves next week. 

UP.

Go see the movie UP.  Today. And bring kleenex. And be ready to laugh and be totally charmed. And then seriously, go visit an old person in a nursing home or senior center afterwords. And then, go do something you've always wanted to do but have put off. But see the movie first! 

This movie is heavy and might make sensitive children sad, but it is a great teaching opportunity for you and your kids. You could easily talk about growing up, death, loneliness, dreams, and the importance of loving, respecting, and learning from the elderly after watching this movie. For those of you without children, do what Ryan and I did: go in and sit close to some kids and pretend they are yours by giving an occasional look their way, head shake, and smile. That way you won't feel lame being the only people in the theatre without kids and you will get to see a truly beautiful, whimsical, deep movie about what it means to love and to grow old gracefully.

Update. 

Good news bad news. That little garden we started on the back porch, you know, the one with no sunlight, that we've only watered twice since we created it back in April? It grew two beautiful red flowers. That's the good news. Bad news? It's a freaking weed thingy. I mean look at that. It flew into the air to be able to get to those bars and get all tangled around them. I am not even sure when this went down, but thank goodness I went out there when I did, who knows how fast that thing grows. We could have come home from the road to find our back porch covered in weed thingys.  

Uneventful.

Ok, that was a stretch. We spent the week in Nashville songwriting. I nursed in the back of cars, bathrooms, at the airport, in between song writing sessions in people's offices. Then all through the night. Talk about an exhausting week. And unnerving. That's the "U" word I should have written. When you have an eight pound wiggle worm that also chokes on your milk and you are trying to feed her without showing the world... well, this can make you sweat. But it was worth it. We finished writing all the songs for the new album and everything clicked into the right place. More on that later. Now we are home for two days and then headed to Glorieta, New Mexico for our first week of Centrifuge/M-Fuge camps. I can't wait! 

Annie is seven weeks old and has been on four plane rides, visited two new states, two hotel rooms, one concert, and been held by numerous loving people. She has four boys to travel with and they all love her. And I love the stares we get in the airport. It's like Three Men and a Baby, people have no clue who the dad is, and I catch them staring as I talk to each of the guys and pass her around. They are utterly confused. But she is happy. Her life is unconventional so far, but whose isn't? 

Unconventional, now that's an understatement. That should be my word for the day or for the year... 

Hope you are enjoying an umbrella free, utopian, understated (I'll stop) weekend.  

Love, your Unconventional friend...