Lily Pads

As much as I know you’d all love to read about how tired I am after five weeks of multiple night time wakeups, including last night where he woke fussing at least once every hour . . . I thought I’d go a different way for today’s post.

The concept of “lily pads” is something I gleaned from The Angry Redhead, a long defunct blogger who took absolutely amazing photos of her various vacations, many of them involving scuba diving.  So glorious – I miss traveling the world through her eyes.  Anyhoodle, the concept is that you cast your gaze across your upcoming year’s calendar, and describe all of the special events that dot it – the “lily pads” on the “pond” of ordinary life.    My ordinary life is pretty lovely in itself, especially this year while The Professor is home with us full time, and we have this beautiful (exhausting, but beautiful) littlest boy to complete our family.  The lily pads are the little shakeups in the routine that keep it fresh . . . trips, vacations, even a fun afternoon.  I like thinking about the fun things coming at us – and I also like to spot “dry spells” in the year that may call for an additional special event.

1. March – I am getting a massage, and probably a facial, because I deserve that shizzz.
2. April – French Quarter Fest in NOLA!  Probably.
3. April – Jack’s sixth birthday – he fluctuates between wanting a Star Wars party and wanting a bowling party.  
4. April – Easter and spring break – we will take a short trip at the beginning of spring break to The Professor’s hometown to see friends and family, then spend Easter here.  The Monday after Easter is my return to work date.
5. May – Panama City Beach – I have a CLE in Panama City in May, and we are making a little weekend trip of it as a family.
6. May – Visit from sister – my oldest sister received a plane ticket to our town from her mother-in-law for Christmas, and she’s cashed it in for a week in late May.  We will drink wine, go to the beach, and she will meet the Craigerator for the first time.  He will be FIVE MONTHS OLD and probably sleeping through the night by this point (right??  RIGHT??)
7. June – Hiking trip – this isn’t mine, but I can celebrate The Professor’s lilypads, too.  He will probably take a backpacking trip with old friends some time in June.
8. June – I’d like to see a minor league baseball game at some point this month.
9. June – Liam’s birthday – last year his birthday party was kind of lame because I was in the early stages of pregnancy and very busy throwing up every five seconds.  We will do something cooler for him this year.
10. July – The Fourth in Nashville – we are hoping to spend the Fourth with my parents in Nashville.  We have a Nashville office at my firm, and I may make it a yearly tradition to spend the week in Nashville working out of that office, taking the holiday off when it comes, and giving the boys a nice week with the parents.
11. August – Talks of a Gulf Coast beach vacation are in the works. . .
12. September – I turn thirty six this month.   We will do some sort of fun shenanigans over Labor Day weekend, as yet to be determined, but likely involving college football in some way because when I married my husband, I married his college football loyalties as well.  If you can’t beat ’em . . .
13. October – I am planning on running the New Orleans Jazz Half Marathon again – my very favorite run of the entire year.  Such a perfect course, perfect time of year – you can read about my best prior run here, if you’re so inclined.
14. October – We will head to Charleston, South Carolina to attend a very swanky wedding of some good friends.
15. November – another awesome wedding, a local one this time.
16. November – Thanksgiving with The Professor’s family, with more college football.
17. November – maaaaayyyybbeeeeeee – this is a HUGE MAYBE – running a marathon in Pensacola.  Though I’m inclined, at this point in my life, to stick to the half marathon distance.  I would like to do a full at some point in my life, but now might not be the time.
18. December – Christmas with my family in Nashville – Baby’s first Christmas!

I am sure more fun will fill itself in, but this looks like a pretty fun year so far.