{Tralala}

See if you can recognize a certain baby girl on www.tralalainc.com (not the blog).

Ah, The Summer Family Roadtrip.

Playing the Alphabet Game. Singing songs together. The License Plate Game.Family comraderie and bonding. Gleeful anticipation of destination.

Or something akin to this.

{Filmed by bro Gavin}

(Circa 1991 on the way to my bro John's graduation from Stanford. Me: 22 yrs old)

Anticipating a call from my mom any minute now, wherein I will most likely be grounded for time and all eternity for airing our dirty laundry.

I meant to make a couple of disclaimers prior to posting this:

a) We usually had way more fun on our road trips and didn't fight.

b) Megan, Susan really wasn't breathing on you (at least directly).

c) Susan, your breath really did reek mightily.

d) Mom, way to keep your calm and cool. I aspire to more of that.

e) McMember-of-the-Audiovisual-Club-in-Highschool insisted upon interjecting the slow-mo clip just in case you missed the actual slap in real time.

Welp, we're off to San Diego on a roadtrip of our own this week to reunite with

parents, sibs, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Now, if you would all be so kind as to run immediately and without hesitation to your bedside, closet, or closest place of worship and pray a little prayer for our impending 437 hour, I mean 6 hour drive, that would be g.r.a.n.d.

Love you mom!

[Underwater]

Many have asked if the recent Iowa flooding was near where we lived last year while Mr. T. was doing his fellowship. I have been obsessed with the photos of our OLD NEIGHBORHOOD right by the University of Iowa in Iowa City that was right by the flooding Iowa River. We really feel like we dodged a bullet by leaving Iowa right before the record-setting bitter cold, tornados, ice storms, blizzards, and now historic flooding devastation. The "Flood of '93" was a mere trickle compared to this year's deluge. Our hearts and wallets go out to those impacted by the floods.

ERGO...Week of incessant TV. Watching rivers crest and levees break like train wreck. Decree was issued: "Make a Business Plan, kids. Execute it". Blank Stares.

"Go Sell Something!" They got it. Proceeds to go to Iowa Flood Relief. Fudgesicles. Milk chocolate, white chocolate, or dark chocolate (my personal fave). 113 degrees. Perfect conditions. Slim profit margin. $6.00 in total donated to Humanitarian Aid. Way to contribute, kiddos!

O Forty, Where is Thy Sting?

Jackson: (last Friday morning) "Mom, come on, get up, you really need to come downstairs."

Me: "Who spilled something?"

Jackson: "Mom, I think your day will get a whole lot better if you just get up."

Me: (slightly less bitter) "Did dad buy donuts?!?" This got me out of bed lickety-split.

Once downstairs, I read the piece of paper taped to the refrigerator:

After scaring the bejeebers out of the baby with my incessant whoop-whooping, and something that may have faintly resembled a happy dance, my day did indeed get really good. How could McSavior have known that I'd been fantasizing about JUST this "whisked away" type of birthday/anniversary/Valentine's Day for over a decade? (come on, every girl does). He may have known because I maybe told him of aforementioned fantasy a "few" times in our short marriage. I was expecting a perfect birthday weekend of watching the new Jonas Brothers Disney movie with my kids and Barro's pizza and a nice lazy Saturday and maybe some rousing racquetball with M.

McTricky tried to be all evasive about where we were going during my endless telephone interrogations with him at work during the day, and he even went to great lengths to get lost on the Phoenix freeway system during rush hour traffic to try to be sneaky. Sedona? Scottsdale? Motel 6? What was my delightful fate to be? I knew I'd won the proverbial lotto when he headed to the vicinty of the Royal Palms Resort where we had our wedding reception. Numero Uno destination for moi. Secretly hoping deep down inside. S.C.O.R.E. Sicky sentimental for us.

The next 24 hours of birthday elation included but was not limited to:

great dinner * GET SMART movie(loved) * night swimming * sleeping in * great breakfast * working out at the hotel gym * massage at spa * shopping at Scottsdale Fashion Square * Haagen Daaz * photographing and more photographing property *

So I'm pretty much happy already, right? OH, but there's more. M had much more up his sleeve. We went to Macayo's to meet up with the kids and his family for what I figured was a little birthday dinner soiree. Get me some Baja Chicken Chimi to cap off the perfect weekend.

BLINDSIGHTED AGAIN. Boy howdy this man is incredible. No clue whatsoever. Surprise, indeed. Babe, I HEREBY ABSOLVE YOU of any past, present or future annoyances for pulling this one off. Even redeemed of the Great ScumBuster Debacle on my 30th birthday. (MEN: Just because your wife casually admires the Ronco ScumBuster on the infomercial doesn't mean you get it for her for her 30th birthday. "I'll just be in here cleaning the toilet with my new ScumBuster, Hun! You guys go enjoy!" ) His intentions were good though.

Way to be. He's the man. Love that guy. Lovin life. Feeling and looking better at 40 than I did at 30. Thirty is the new forty, according to someone. Stuff is good. Thanks, Mr. T.

Loved seeing such a random cross-section of my dear friends--it appears M just went down my email list and added a few here, peppered in a few more there, and the result was a surreal conglomeration of friends from the past and present. FABULOUS. Even my BFF since I was 13 drove over with her husband from El Centro, and I had friends there from before I met Marc 14 years ago. All Marc's great family. Friends from our current ward. Friends from Texas. Beyond befuddled.

Flowers from my mom and dad:

The Surprise Party

THX Steph for capturing the moment...

Thank you M.

Rock Your Babies Before It's Too Late.

Taken by my pal JSchomaker right before my Charlie's first birthday.

Constant motion.

Shocked to have gotten a couple of good shots.

Just ordered a rocking chair/ottoman which will arrive this week.

To rock my one year old baby girl in.

Because I gave away my glider/ottoman to "simplify" our last two moves.

One of my biggest regrets.

Why have I not been rocking my baby girl every day/night?

Please let her still want to be held and rocked for awhile longer.

Maybe Just One More Drama...

Last week. Slight nausea. 14 hours of wretching. GI tract Spring Cleaning? Wishing for speedy death. Desperation. Begging for trip to ER. Total dehydration. Two bags of IV fluids. One bag I.V. Zofran. One bag I.V. Phenergan. Blessed sleep. Blessed relief. Slept 15 hours straight. McLifesaver somehow kept kids at bay downstairs.

Insisted upon flying to Temple,Texas w/ Marc for Radiology Reunion despite frail condition. With Zofran pills. Convalescing in hotel room with no kids VS. staying home alone without Marc dealing with Summer Break Craziness/Boredom? Come on.

Saw old buds in TX. Waxed nostalgic. [Szymanskis, Hiedenreichs, Vicky, Jodi, Gerrards, Atwoods, Collingwoods, Cases, Dollars, Crisps, Watkins, Cantrells, Sonniers, etc.]

Finally witnessed the bats on Congress Bridge in Austin. Great food. Cheeves. Inn on the Creek in Salado. A little exercise. Much sleep. Lots of water. Mom inheriting Celestial Kingdom for watching my kids. While two of them threw up all over everything. Love her. Tough cookie.

In-laws? Once again splendid with kiddos. indebted.

In Austin.

Back to the Good Stuff

Whilst I was off demonstrating poor impulse control, (actually I prefer the term "righteous indignation", thanks), many GOOD milestones occurred in the Tobler Household. Three of my four children had birthdays, for example. a few highlights...

{My baby turned ONE.}

{My Pumpernickel turned FOUR.}

{My oldest turned NINE.}

And best of all, no huge dramas this week. Tally ho.