Nathalie's Notes

Our little adventure ... an early start

Despite the whole super shitty sleeping and coming home sick thing, our little spontaneous family adventure last week was awesome. And luckily, the memories and pictures will long outlive the coughing and exhaustion.

We left Thursday morning for a whirlwind stop to visit family in Walla Walla. Sam didn't fight the going to bed as bad as he usually does while traveling but he did wake up a lot. At 4:30 a.m., I heard him say: "All done." And he wasn't kidding. I brought him into bed with us which he thought was really cool with the jumping opportunities but Matt wasn't so much into it and I quickly realized at least one of us needed enough sleep to be able to drive later. Sam decided to start making his siren noises. As it was a work day, I didn't want him to wake up the whole house and he's not a kid quieted by cartoons. So I took him out to the truck, snuggled us up in a couple of his blankets and tried not to cry as I spent the next 2 hours reciting his Thomas the Train book from memory, singing 10 little monkeys and wheels on the bus over and over ... good times. As the light came up, I read to him and we practiced drawing on his etch-a-sketch. I thought it was funny how self-conscious I was about my drawing while he adamantly tried to pass of the exact same scribble as both a hippo and later as an airplane. He even seemed a little offended I had to ask.

Finally, a little after 7 we saw life in the house and climbed out of the truck ready for the next adventure. By this point Sam was starting to bang his head against the window and I felt like joining him. I really, really wished I'd thought to grab the keys before rushing my wailing siren out the door.

Home safe, sound & sick

We're home, we're safe, we're (mostly) sound and we're sick. Sweet! Which means my cranky baby Chi Chi is not into playing peacefully while I write so I'll post again soon. Oddly, we had a great time. Of course, one of the highlights including coming home.

Hello, Heaven? It's me Nathalie.

Love this picture of us in Florida, bummer about the glasses and squinty eyes on my guys. It could've been The One. You know, for Christmas cards. I submitted my column with time to spare, how'd that happen? So now I can focus on something I'm super excited about: the holidays. If you know me, you might assume that was sarcastic, but no. I found a channel on the television that plays 24-7 Christmas music, also 80s rock, all the time. Hello, Heaven? 

This year I'm feeling the magic. Maybe it was the early start we got celebrating the holidays and family with my parents and brother in Florida. Even though Christmas lights and wreaths seem a little out of place hung on palm trees, it got me into the spirit of the season. I'm tempted to write what I put in the column along these lines but I guess I can wait a week.

In the meantime these things, in addition to the Holiday Music Sing/Dance-a-thon Sam and I are having, say Christmas is coming to me: Satsuma mandarins, White Chocolate Peppermint coffee creamer and the five pounds I enjoyed gaining on vacation.

not locals having fun

Greetings from the land of decorated palm trees,and Shih Tzus. Sam's like "doggy?" Well, sorta. For example, when he saw this picture he pointed and said, "Meow?"

We are easy to spot as not locals both because of our age and our attire. We went to a pool party yesterday. I wore a summer dress and Sam wore a little tank and shorts outfit. I was asked every three minutes if I was cold. No, friends, this is tropical by my standards. Back home I'd be in layers and a wool hat.

We went to the beach with Sam the other day. He loved playing in the sand, marching around with his collection of four shovels and chasing birds gleefully calling after them: "Bock, Bock, Bock."

No socks, no shoes

We arrived in Florida safely. Or is it Heaven? Hard to tell. Sam and I went on an early morning walk to not wake up the rest of the house. We saw not one but two armadillos. Odd little creatures!

It's 7 a.m. and I'm sitting on the back deck with my mom in a tank top and shorts. Bare feet. It's November. Mom wants to know if we should still go to the pool "even if the weather doesn't clear up."

Really? This is bad weather? Did you not live in Tacoma for 35 years? November? Barefoot?

This is awesome!

Sam was a rock star on the plane. I'm the kind of mom, it turns out, who has no problem using candy as bribery. I did learn, however, the phrase "like taking candy from a baby" is as big a lie as "sleep like a baby."

I may or may not go put on shoes now.

Play.Eat. Sleep and Repeat

  For the first time in years we aren't filled with "Back to School" spirit tonight as the rest of the County prepares to go back to school. Since Matt and I don't work in public schools anymore and Sam is a few years out from having a new backpack full of fresh school supplies waiting by the front door, it's just another Monday night around the Hardy house.

As part of my "Holiday mom" fantasy, I always planned to be the kind of mom that was really into celebrating big and small holidays and the kind who would have all sorts of traditions around seasonal and annual festivities.

So far, Sam's first year of holidays has been rather uneventful. Luckily, all the days roll into one long play-eat-sleep and repeat cycle for him.

Autumn is my favorite season. I love the start of each season but truly this one is my favorite. Goodbye summer, shaving all the time and stupid shorts that barely fit and helllooooo sweaters, soups, hats, crispy air and crunchy leaves.

Laughing about it later ...

All this flooding in the news reminds me of our adventures living on the Oregon Coast. These two memories are examples of the kind of thing that isn't so funny at the time but ...

Matt came home from work at 10 a.m. because school had been canceled due to flooding and water levels were expected to continue rising. It was our first flood season on the coast. In our defense, we really didn't know better. We decided it'd be fun to check out the rising rivers. I was thinking it would make a neat scrapbook page. It turned into a $300 page when we had to get the truck fixed due to water damage. How cool did we feel?

What's a kid in Tillamook to do when schools close for floods? Surf, of course! We weren't the only idiots driving through town. We passed an awful lot of Matt's students crusing around in their lifted pickups. "Hey, Mr. Hardy!!" One proud moment was when we passed one of his kids towing a women with children who got stuck in their little Mazda.

The next year it flooded, I was working at the paper and possibly should've known better. Matt called me once he got into Tillamook to warn me to work from home if possible. He said the roads were already covered and he barely made it in the truck. Stay at home? Are you kidding me? With all the stories to be covered, I don't think so. Off I went. I white knuckled the wheel the whole way but was doing pretty good until I hit the notorious part of Highway 101 by Fred Meyer. The part that always floods and is featured on the news at least once a year. Suddenly the water's up to the middle of my tires and there's this really, really awful scraping noise. Oh my God. How am I going to explain this? I'm freaking out thinking my transmission is falling out. I don't know, it just sounded really expensive. I limped the car to work, rehearsing different ways to explain to Matt why it was so important I come in to work. Luckily, it was just some garbage that got stuck.

"You didn't take the loop?" About six of my co-workers asked.
"The loop?"
"Yeah, there's a loop around Highway 101 you can take to avoid the worst of the flooding."
"Hmm. Maybe they should give out that information with the phone books and crab nets from the Welcome Wagon."

My first (and last?) rodeo

Do you know what mutton bustin' is? I've never heard of such a thing. I went to my very first rodeo this weekend in Walla Walla. Imagine my surprise to see gates swinging open and six-year-olds on sheep holding on for dear life shooting out into the arena. Total shock. I'm glad I got to go to the rodeo but it's safe to say it's really not my thing. For instance, during the event where cowboys catch and try to tie up a cute little calf in record time, I was clapping for the calf that got away. This resulted in me getting a sharp poke in the ribs from Matt, glares from folks sitting around me and the announcer to ask the crowd "how many of you are actually rooting for the calf?" My honest reply earning me another poke in the side.

Vienna: facts and feelings

When Matt and I talk about our trip of a lifetime to Eastern Europe to visit my parents, I sometimes wonder if we're describing the same trip. I mean, we were both there at the same time and were pretty much together 24-7 but we remember very different things. I, for instance, don't retain historical data. I just don't. I'm not sure if I forget it immediately or if I just never processed it in the first place. But between the two of us, we put together the facts and feelings of most of the experiences we had.

So, for example, Matt can tell you all about Prince Eugen of Savoy and what he did with his army and how many square feet this amazing castle is with and without the greens included. Me? I remember the horrible bathroom attendant who wouldn't let me go to the bathroom. There were six open stalls and she wouldn't take my Slovak money, my Czech money or my United States currency. It was schillings or see ya sister. I had to go so bad after being on the train for so long I was willing to way overpay her in any of the currencies I had but "No!" Imagine that being said in the strictest Austrian accent. I haven't gone off on someone like I unleashed on this Bathroom Gesto lady before or since. So while Matt remembers all the details of the Belvedere Castle in Vienna, I remember the bladder infection I got due to that vile woman, a memento from Vienna that stayed with me the rest of our trip through Europe.

Overhead at Vanderbilt Beach

Overheard: at Vanderbilt Beach Naples, Florida

I'm sunbathing as a man behind me starts talking into his cellphone. His conversation before and after this call consists of a few words strung between variations of the word "fuck." He's short with silvery hair, way too tan and wearing green swim trunks and a grey tank top, the kind where it looks like he cut the sleeves off an old shirt. He is chain smoking.

"Hi, Jackie. Happy birthday, baby. Are you just getting out of school? Oh. Oh, Christmas vacation. Yeah, I totally forgot about that. So where are you? Oh, all the way up there? You in the car or what? Who's driving? Oh, okay. Who else is wit you? oh. So you drove all the way out there and didn't get to see him play. Oh, that's too bad. Well, i guess stop at that hamburger stand on the way home. You remember; the one I always used to take you to. Where we had the chili cheese fries? Yeah. So what, are you having a party tonight or what? They're on a cruise? Again?! They just went on a cruise. I'm sorry I'm not there for your 18th birthday honey. Oh, I'm here sitting on the beach. It's about 82 degrees. How about there? Yeah, I know. Weird weather. What is it 50s or 60's? How were your marks this ... uh... marking period? You haven't yet? Oh. Well how do you think you did? Well, good or bad? Mostly good? That's good, as long as you're doing your best. Well, I'm sorry I can't be there for your 18th. No, it's okay, but it's not. But, I'll see you ... well I'll be there February third. I'll see you immediately. Next time I call I'll get dates for your basketball games. I'm dying to see you play. Okay. I love you honey. And hey, remember, if you need something, you just call me okay? Bye, baby."

After shamelessly eavesdropping on this conversation I have all sorts of ideas about the back story here. What are some of your impressions?