You Can't Go Home Again

Since I was in town, I swung by our old house and took some pictures. Hopefully the Cruz's did think I was casing the joint. Looks pretty much the same except. . .

What's that waving in the wind?

Esa, mis amigos, es la bandera de Mexico.
Y acontecio, mi casa no es mi casa.
Que le vaya bien, mi primera casita. Fue un placer de conocerte.

Backtrackin' to Carolina in my Mind

After a wonderful holiday in Arizona, our little family went to the airport and headed in opposite directions: Chris went home to snowy Tri-Cities, while Ally and I continued on to North Carolina. I am very grateful (as are some of our friends and family) to Chris for his flexibility and willingness to pimp me out for babysitting duties and showing-off Ally purposes. This wasn't the first time in recent history that he's been left home alone to fend for himself. We aren't sure what Chris did for those 2 weeks, since he didn't blog and he didn't take any pictures. Of course, I am sure it was utterly boring without us kicking around the house and keeping him up late at night.

Anyway, here's the beginning of a (long) overdue summary of what I and our little globe-trotting munchkin were up to . . .

The whole reason we ended up in Carolina last month was because of a good friend Margaret and her insanely crazy notion that I would be the perfect substitute mother. (Some people are just too trusting with their children!) And so the plan was hatched.

Margaret and Tom got some much-needed relaxation and re-bonding while cruising the Gulf of Mexico with old friends. Emma Jane, Matthew, Ally, and I did some re-bonding of our own while trying not to burn the house down.

Ally seemed to enjoy having 2 older siblings to chase her around and tell her what to do; she also enjoyed chasing 2 older dogs around and telling them what to do. It was during this part of our journey that Ally started speaking in sentences and commands. Emma and Matthew's favorite Allyisms? "No means no!" and "Oh my goodness!"

I didn't take too many pictures during our week in Pinehurst. Ally and her pseudo-siblings did, however most of them didn't quite turn out. I wonder why . . .



While at their house, Ally started frequently asking to call Daddy. It warmed my heart to watch her pick up the phone, get excited to hear Chris' voice on the other end, and then start jabbering away about the days events. He could probably only understand about half of it--usually something to do with Mickey Mouse or the doggies--but I'm sure he appreciated hearing her voice too.

Most of my time in Pinehurst was spent playing Minivan Momma, but I was able to sneak away and visit a few friends during the school day. (I'm posting these 2 pictures of Uncle Mike here to see if he's made any progress with using the Internet and if he remembers how to get to our blog. We love you, Mike!) I even took Ally back to Hospice, where I was offered a telecommuting job and Ally got one last dance with Charlotte. Margaret also let me borrow the car one last time (thanks, Mom!) when they got back so Ally and I could make an unannounced guest appearance at our old church congregation. We wish we could've seen more people and spent more time with our "extended family" in Moore County. We promise to return soon on a true vacation, and next time we'll be dragging Chris along with us.

After packing up our things, and not-so-conveniently leaving our coats hanging by the door, Margaret and Emma drove us up to our next stop: Chapel Hill. My dearest tempestuous, tantalizing, tempting, titillating, teasing Taunja-- so sorry we only had a few hours. I could've stayed at your house forever: playing with your hair, listening to your vocabulary-rich stories and ponderings, and stuffing my face (and Ally's) with your fabulous cookie dough. I didn't even have enough time to make you wheeze. . .

A Random Sampler from my Pockets

I just cleaned out my jeans pockets. The contents:
-$5.56 in small change and unmarked bills
-a token for the car wash worth 3 minutes and 7 seconds
-a check from Margaret that needs to be cashed (Oops!)
-a note I made a few weeks ago while watching the Federal Budget Defecit and Economic Outlook meeting on C-SPAN. Not my usually habit, but the name of the interviewee (Mr Sunshine) had caught my attention.
-a list of Ally's sayings and doings that need to be placed on the blog

Makes me want to search my other clothing to see what else I've unknowingly misplaced recently.







Ally has been running away from diaper changes. Her new favorite place to hide is behind the blinds of our sliding glass door. Which is cute, until she does it halfway through the change-- sans diaper.











Did I mention the door is glass? Thankfully our backyard is long and the weather is cold so people don't tend to be wandering outside. So sorry if she has flashed anyone!









A picture of our new president came on TV the other night. Ally looked up and said, "Barack Obama". We didn't teach her that! Nor do we remember ever teaching her "panda" or "dolphin" or "Q", but somehow she knows those too. Our little girl is such a sponge.


Whenever she hears music, Ally likes to dance. If we ask her to "shake your booty", she'll put her backside toward us and do it. It shouldn't have surprised me then when we were in the middle of the yogurt aisle at the grocery store and I hear her shout, "Mommy, shake your booty! Shake your booty, Mommy!" I had to oblige.


Ally loves books. I told her one afternoon to get me her books so we could read. Then I got distracted talking on the phone and shredding chicken. I remembered the promised activity over 30 minutes later when I finally paid attention to Ally's happy chatter and decided to investigate. This is what I found:

My little baby had given up on her mother, lined up her dinosaur toys, and read her whole animal library to them. It was the best guilt-trip she could've given me. Now if only she'd be that self sufficient in other areas!


Ally loves Mickey Mouse. I've been able to write this blog only because I have her upstairs watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on TV. When the episode is over they do the hotdog song and dance, so I know my time is up. I heard the song and ran upstairs to check on her. I watched the hotdog dance finish. Then I watched Ally grab the DVR remote, push some buttons, and restart the episode. What was I just saying about self-sufficiency?

I haven't forgotten about North Carolina. Hopefully those pictures and posts will be up and running soon.

A Tall Tale of Trouble in Tucson

It all started when Ally went on a little joy ride through the desert and got arrested for driving without a license.



Then Chris got thrown in the clunker too for trying to break his precious one out. I told him it'd be easier to just leave her in there, but the man don't like to listen . . .

So Karen done got shot for horse thievin' while trying to provide transportation for a double breakout. Ally, after pleading ignorance due to poor upbringing, was eventually cleared of all charges. (Though secretly she still wants to be just like her Momma.) The little child, forever faithful to the end, refuses to leave her mother's side and continues watch over her aging remains. As for Daddy, he still resides in the county lockup since no one has yet to post his bail.

























All drama aside, we couldn't have asked for a better visit to Old Tucson Studios. Who can complain about being outside on December 31st in 75 degree weather, wearing a t-shirt and a baseball cap to keep the sun out of your eyes? And there weren't any crowds since it's off-season. We enjoyed the horses, the children's rides, the stunt shows, and the old west buildings. Chris even took me into the haunted mineshaft, which wasn't too scary until I didn't realize a member of our small group had silently stepped behind me to take a picture.

If you're ready to see more pictures of Old Tucson and the desert, click here to be transported to Picasa (check AZ To NC). You'll also be able to see pictures of our visit to the Reid Park Zoo earlier that same day.







It was a beautiful zoo. I won't take
the time to blog about it 'cause (Big Surprise!) you can probably guess what we saw. If you're a fan of Ally or her cousins or animals, then you'll probably want to click over. Otherwise, feel free to continue surfing the web elsewhere.

This concludes the Arizona portion of our review. Tomorrow I shall hopefully conquer North Carolina and some of Chris' relatives. Thanks again, Eric and Courtney, for taking such good care of us in the SouthWest!

The Glue That Binds Us Together

A picture of all the house guests while we were in Arizona. Thanks to Eric and Courtney for providing such a wonderful hotel! (And thanks for letting me steal some pictures from your blog.)


And the reason for so many out-of-town guests (besides the fact that we all love and adore the AZ Winters)? The Saturday after Christmas we all got to go to the Mesa Temple for a very special ceremony. Born halfway around the world in Ukraine over two years ago, and legally adopted this past summer, Ella has experienced many red-letter days. And December 27th marks another important one-- the day Ella Katerina Winters was spiritually and eternally sealed like superglue to the rest of the Winters clan. She is now officially part of their (and our) "forever family".

I realize now that I did not take any appealing pictures of my parents, nor of Eric and Courtney. I would apologize, but such is life. They haven't really changed much over the past year anyway. I also didn't take a Cambrie-only picture that's flattering, but I stole one.









My buddy Ty.
















Sweet Cambrie.


















Chase out of costume.















Ella, Ally's favorite munchkin and partner-in-crime.














Aunt Amy and Spiderman.

Christmas Dance Party

After a full day of spending time together, the adults decided it was time to really relax. Courtney put on some music so the cousins could expend some of their excess energy and the aunts/uncles/moms/dads could lounge around and be entertained.



On this one, you can hear my brother Eric singing with the music. Ally now walks around the house bopping her head and saying, "Umbrella, Ella, Ella. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. . ." and requesting to dance with Ella.


Be on the lookout for a strip show from your friendly neighborhood Spiderman.




Hide your daughters 'cause Tyson's got the moves!

Ally's Christmas Review, Part 2

After a long day of playing in the Spokane airport and a mild delay, we made it to my brother Eric's house in Arizona on Christmas Eve. Ally kept staring out the window during the flight exclaiming, "Choo! Choo!" I originally thought she was looking at the wing and getting her planes and trains confused, but maybe she was watching Santa's sleigh fly by. Once she woke up Christmas morning, Ally loved her second present-opening event-- especially since there were other kids around and lots of happy noises.


And the award for the most ironic gift of the day? Ally's newest cousin Ella, who was adopted this past year from Ukraine, received a plastic food set as her very first Christmas present. She didn't get much food at the orphanage (by our standards), and now she's being gifted food that she can't eat. She must think we are crazy. Welcome to our crazy family, Ella. We're so happy to have you!

Ally's Christmas Review, Part 1

Before I get to all our recent cross-country adventures, I must first post some pre-travel pictures and take a moment to thank everyone in Ally's fan club for such wonderful gifts. Eventually you will receive a personalized note from her, but it may take a few months for us to sit down and get them done. As you all know, procrastination is one of my greatest attributes. So, as you sit patiently waiting for mail from Washington, you can occupy yourself by reading this blog.


Due to our travel schedule and weather concerns, our first Christmas of the season was held on Monday night (Dec 22nd) at our house. Here are some videos and pictures to entertain/bore you:














Our little elf in action: Ally finds and carefully opens her first treasure. She knew exactly what to do and was very dainty about ripping the paper off all her presents.


Good thing Ally is a natural baby momma 'cause she sure has a lot of children now, and she enjoys every one of them.

Did you catch the wardrobe malfunction at the end? It was a chronic problem that night. I guess she's all ready for the ghetto, or a visit with Uncle Jim . . .


Ally unwraps a new best friend. Thank you, Daddy!


Checking out some new jammies and making sure they fit.



Philadelphia forever. I guess it was asking too much for 2 teams to go all the way this year. At least one of them did not disappoint.




We get new ornaments from Grandma Hoffman every year. Here's Ally opening hers, and knowing exactly where it's supposed to go.




A gorgeous picture of the reason why we weren't sure if we'd make it to Arizona. The Pacific Northwest got hit with a couple record-breaking storms around Christmastime. Although our flight out wasn't until the afternoon of Christmas Eve, we drove up to Spokane on Tuesday and spent the night at the airport hotel. Ally got to go swimming, and we had peace of mind and a good night's rest. We would've walked across the street to catch our flight the next day-- except for the frigid, below zero air and mountains of snow.





Craving more pictures? Click right here and be transported to our Picasa page. I'll be updating the blog and the photos as time and Ally permit, so hopefully I'll have more up by this afternoon.

Almost home

Tomorrow is our big travel day. I just checked on our flights: 2.5 hours, then 4.5 hours, then 1 hour in the air (along with two airport layovers). It's going to be a long day. But, at the end of it all, we will be united with Daddy. Thankfully Ally is a seasoned, well-behaved traveler. I hope I'm not cursing my luck with that statement.

Stay tuned for a massive update with lots of pictures in the next few days. The blog drought will shortly be over.

Where's wALLYdo?

Let those of you who follow our blog religiously be warned, updating delays may continue through the next few weeks. Please pardon our slowness. Our family has been doing some traveling, and it's hard to find time to update cyberspace when you're having so much fun visiting friends, making memories with family, and flying across the US.

For those of you who were wanting to break into our vacant home, you're too late. Chris has been back in Washington since Friday evening. (Someone has to work to pay the bills.) Besides, we have very vigilant neighbors and a very aggressive pet tortoise. Ally and I have continued on to NC.

And, that's all the time I have for now. Eventually we'll be able to post our Christmas pics and photos from our various excursions. Please stay patiently tuned. . .