The Salinas Rodeo

This past Saturday Sean and I took Cora to the Salinas Rodeo (they pronounce it row-DAY-ow). We watched cowboys get bucked off horses, chased by bulls and rope wild ponies.

Sean and I were pretty impressed, while Cora was more entertained by crawling through the bleachers, "cleaning" up gross trash around where we were seated and touching people in the seats in front of us.

Good times.

Afterwards we went to a western store that was having a big sale. We didn't buy anything but sure had fun trying on stuff.

[So I found a blogger app for my iPhone... But it doesn't upload the pictures in the order that I attached them. Annoying. You get the idea though.]

To Share Or Not To Share

Sadness. Loss. Heartache.


We all experience them. This world is an imperfect place. They are our reliable companions as we travel through life.


Yet I feel like I (and many of you) really hesitate to ever share about them. We post on our blogs about interesting trips we went on and write witty status updates on Facebook, but when that thunderstorm or even the light sprinkle happens, we shut those windows tightly so no one can see or hear what's really going on inside the house.


By nature I am a private person. I dislike unsolicited advice and many times when you share your heart, that can be what comes back by way of a reaction to the crisis. And understandably. No one wants to hear of tragedy without trying to assist or fix it in some way. It means we care. We want to help.


But what if there is no physical, tangible way to help? Does that mean it would be better not to share at all for fear of getting "helped" anyway?


When difficulty strikes I find myself staring at the computer screen thinking that this is the time that I actually have the most to say, but I don't want to write it.


So I usually don't post at all or I think of something lighthearted instead. It's too scary to send one's feelings out into the great, wide Internet cosmos for all to see.


I admire friends like Ashleigh who seems to have the gift of sharing her hurt in a beautiful, open way that makes one ponder values and responses to difficulties. My thoughts are always jumbled and would likely result in disoriented sentences across the page.


But it makes me sad. The Ashleighs of the world are so few and the Bonnys of the world are so many. We just smile and babble on of only happy things.


Would it be better if we shared or would we just feel frustrated by unneeded comments?


Or would it help others to know that they are not alone in this thing called life or the trials that plague it?


I read a caption once, "If only my life were as perfect as I pretend it is on Facebook."


But no one's is.


Would it be more beneficial all around if we just admitted it (not complaining, just acknowledging)? 
Or would that still just be depressing? Would it make us one of those people who we delete from our newsfeeds because we can't stand their negative posts and avoid calls from because we don't want to hang out?


What if there is clearly a lesson learned that could be shared? What if someone unknown really needed to hear that lesson?


Would I still be too reserved scared to share it? 

Happy Birthday Sean

Today Sean turns 32. He got a pair of cowboy boots for himself a few weeks ago as his big gift.

This morning Cora and I gave him a card and an electric griddle, which he had been thinking about getting for a while. We all ate Daddy's famous hot cinnamon-y French toast in our pajamas.

After her nap Cora sat with Daddy and read her favorite books before he has to go to work.

Pigtails

I just love pigtails on little girls. They make me think of youth and innocence and how precious this time is, because I feel like there is only a limited amount of time that one can wear her hair like this. Who wears pigtails when she is older, especially the high ones?

Oh adorable pigtails, how I feel the need to capture your cuteness!

18 Months

What a wonderfully entertaining little person my Cora is. I always think I will be sad when one stage of development is over, but the next one is always so much richer and more interesting.


At 18 Months, Cora says 27 words, including "yup" or "yeah" after any sort of question that you ask her. 


For example... 
"Did you get to go outside today?"
"Yup"


"Is Brigita a naughty puppy?"
"Yup"


"Are you a big, poopy mess?"
"Yeah" [while proceeding to run away because she knows a diaper change is imminent]


The other day Sean was playing with her in the living room while I was getting ready, and she kept saying, "Momma, Momma." Sean replied to her, "What about Daddy? Is Daddy chopped liver?" And she said, "Yup!" 


She can put large puzzle pieces and all of her shape-sorter blocks in their correct places.


She especially loves to read books and point at all of the pictures while asking, "Dat?"


Whenever she wants something, she points and yells, "Mommee!!!" That has recently changed from, "Ah!" Not sure what that is about, since she calls me Momma when she is talking about me.


She took her first unassisted steps at the very end of 16 months and started really walking at 17 months. Now she runs everywhere and prefers to climb over things if she can at all help it. She really loves this monkey push toy that she got at my baby shower.


Here are some pictures, including an impromptu photo shoot we did in our pajamas.

Yes my dog is wearing a diaper... She was in heat.