11/11/16- Happy Veteran's Day, Remembering My Grandpa and Thanking My Dad

As I am processing my own feelings about the election results (hurt, sadness) and working to understand others' feelings (happy, excited, scared, apathetic), I was reminded on social media that today is Veteran's Day.  I am not a veteran, but I do know some, and I want to say thank you and Happy Veteran's Day.

It's been a reminder that I am a descendant of a veteran.  My grandpa Charlie was a veteran.  He fought in WWII.  But those facts had escaped my memory.  How could I forgot that he was one?

Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Ruth (she was a working woman as well)

I forgot because he simply was grandpa to me, not war veteran.  I don't recall every seeing him dress in uniform (in person; photos yes). I don't remember him sharing war stories with me. I do remember him sharing an ICEE with me at the Walmart in Lexington, Nebraska while walking around and picking out Barbie dolls and fishing lures.  I remember him teaching me about gardening and how he ate green onions straight.  And watching Jeopardy and cow auctions together.

I do remember one 4th of July where he was running for a local town position on the Democrat ticket.  I don't remember him winning or many other details, but I do recall handing out pencils with his name on it (the things that stick with you, huh?).  Grandpa Charlie is my mother's dad, and her side of the family has a long line of Democrats. On my father's side, a string of Independents.

These Two Guys!

I also come from a family of strong working women.  My grandpa Charlie had 4 daughters, no sons (unless you count through marriage), and all four daughters went to college.  And I think they all got master's degrees. These daughters traveled the world and have been in the workforce since the day I was born.  Two of them worked while raising kids.

My dad, well he's not a veteran.  He would have been a veteran of the Korean War, but he had asthma and couldn't serve (that would probably be different today with new medicine/treatments and military medical requirements).  He did serve his country in his own way though; he worked on many military and government projects as engineer and researcher.  I also work on a government/military project as an engineer.  I come from a short line of engineers as well (as far as I know it's just me and dad, and we're literally short in height). :)

Like Father, Like Daughter

This line of engineer, veteran, Democrat, Independent, strong working woman, that is my history. It is a reflection of who I am, and well not all of my family history is good and happy, I am thankful for what these two men did so that I can be an engineer today (20% of engineering students are female, Women LeavingEngineering, if you're interested in stats).

Dad and grandpa, thank you for repeatedly telling me I could be anything I wanted to be.  That you thought I could go to college (or okay, stated that I was).  That you thought I could be an engineer (or vet or marine biologist or latest idea).

Thank you for never saying I belonged at home or that I was ugly or fat or that my only worth was in my looks. Thank you for encouraging me to use my mind and smarts. Thank you for your support of me in math and science (especially when I was unsure of my abilities in those subjects). Thank you both for raising strong daughters (side shout out: thank you to my mother and aunts for being role models).

Dad and grandpa, today I thank you for being that kind of man, for being my equality champion. Thank you for all that you did for me.  I will continue to make you proud by being the smart, strong, hard working, female engineer that you believe in.

And Uncle Denis, Jack's Bopa, family and friends who also served, thank you for your service.

(And if your curious who my old white male of a father voted, it was for Hilary.  Thanks dad!)

This picture might embarrass them, but shout out to my male cousins for being equality champions too!

11/3/16- The MS

In the writing world, MS is an abbreviation for manuscript.  In technology, MS is an abbreviation for Master's of Science.  In the autoimmune disease realm, it's Multiple Sclerosis.  I know all 3 abbreviations well, but the one that has impacted my life the most, is Multiple Sclerosis. My friend Emma had Multiple Sclerosis.

It's been 4 years since Emma passed away, and I carefully choose my words when I talk to others (who did not know her personally) about her.  I tell them she lost her battle to MS. That is the truth.  It's the why.  I feel that in those couple of minutes conversation that is all they need to know- that I lost a good friend to MS.

But it is not the how.  Emma was struggling with MS and decided in January of 2012 to end her struggle.  She committed suicide and left a note to her parents, citing she wanted peace, to escape the unending pain of MS and the resultant depression.

I believe she was 24 when she received her diagnosis in 2007 or 2008.  It's hard for me to remember the details of her diagnosis because I was going through my own medical struggles from end of 2006 to beginning of 2008.  My own RA diagnosis came in  spring of 2008.  And in a way, Emma helped me get a diagnosis.

She came to a party that Bobby and I had in  late 2007 or early 2008 (again that time is blurry for me).  I told her at the party how I felt like I had the flu every day. I told her I was so fatigued and nauseated, but frustrated that the doctors (I've seen so far) couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. She told me about her own symptoms and how a doctor at the Mayo clinic diagnosed her with MS.  She suggested that my symptoms sounded similar to hers (the extreme fatigue) and that I should get a MRI to (hopefully) rule out MS.

I called an imaging place that performed MRI scans.  They asked me who the doctor was recommending this test.  I sheepishly said no doctor had ordered it, that it was me, but I really needed to know.  I was asking for this test before the act in Arizona where you, the patient, can order your own tests (at least blood tests, I'm not sure about MRIs).

I must have given a good speech because the worker said she'd assign a doctor to the test; one that they normally worked with.  I got the MRI, which lead to meeting the doctor (who the imaging place assigned).  He told me that everything was good/looked normal in the MRI. Then, we talked about my symptoms, and he tested me for Mono, Valley Fever, and RA.  I had Mono and a high RA Factor. The diagnosis of RA happened shortly after.

Emma gathered us for the Phoenix MS Walk in 2010

But I am digressing.  I am not angry at Emma for taking her own life.  I know how a disease can turn your mind dark. I battled my own depression while I struggled to figure out what was wrong with my health. Often thinking what I had was a mental illness- that I was making it all up.  Often wondering, at least when I die here shortly, they can perform an autopsy on me and find out what I have.  Days of just sleeping on the couch during the day. Not going to work.  Not doing anything. But getting lost in my own thoughts.

I know what it's to have an autoimmune disease and the depression that can follow, and I'm angry at myself for not recognizing her internal battle.  We had meet 2 weeks prior to her death, and she shared how she wanted to be more social; that she was feeling lonely.  I encouraged her to come to more SWE events and that I'd love her help with SWE outreach activities.  She said she didn't think she could because she was no longer an engineer (she had been fired by her company months before). I said, of course you can still be a part of SWE, because why else would SWE offer retired or unemployed memberships?   We later made plans to do dinner again, and she said she'd sign up to volunteer for one of the SWE events.

I feel that I failed to really hear what she was saying. That she was lonely and that she was hurting. My anger at myself is not as large as it was in 2012, but it is still there, broken tiny pieces residing deep in my heart. Then I feel disappointment in myself for being angry- well her death isn't about you! Tsk, tsk, as I scold myself.  After all, it's about her, and what she needed.  She needed peace.

The thought of knowing she found the peace she was looking for, it breaks my anger and guilt into even smaller pieces; the thought does comfort me. Then, I am able to remember all of our good times together, the memories floating happily in my mind, and the wonderful things about our friendship are there on the surface of my heart, overshadowing the anger and guilt.  You brought me joy and happiness my dear friend Emma, and I wish you the same.

In loving memory of Emma, I'm participating in the Phoenix MS Walk on November 5, 2016.  To learn more about MS, please visit: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/.  What to learn more about Emma?  Her blog (which to my delight, I found was still up and have enjoyed re-reading) is here: https://phern.wordpress.com/.

Phoenix MS Walk 2015

10/27/16- Mickey's Halloween Party

As part of our trip to Disneyland in early October, we went to Mickey's Halloween Party.  Mickey's Halloween Party is a special event from early September until end of October that includes trick-or-treating, Halloween-themed attractions and Character Greetings, special fireworks spectacular, and a spooky parade that starts with the ride of the Headless Horseman.  It is a separate cost from the regular park ticket, but you can enter the park 3 hours before the the Halloween party starts. (And remember, your child under 3 is free, even for the Halloween party!)

In my post last week, Bobby and I concluded that we could have skipped going to the park in the morning (the extra rest to for all of us to treat-or-trick until the party closed would have been good) and just done the early party entrance.  We still did plenty of rides and saw characters when we attended the party.

We got to the party around 5 pm, and there was a decent line to get in (first security and then actual park gate; Disney-line continues!).  I've heard that the line for parking is also long for the nights that of the Halloween party, so if you are driving, make sure you plan for extra time spent parking.

Bobby and I were excited to read that costumes are encouraged (check the park website for rules about costumes)-- we were going to go as The Incredibles and Jack would be Jack, Jack!  And of course when we go to put him in his costume, he refused.  Such a toddler!  It really didn't stop any of our enjoyment at the party, and it was fun to keep getting told that we looked incredible (from park employees). I love puns.

We started with dinner in the park, and Bobby and I both liked the grilled cheese and basil tomato soup; it felt like the perfect fall/Halloween meal.  Jack had a kid's meal, and only ate the carrots and drank the milk, which since he was about to eat candy, we were not upset about.  We could have packed food, but that's not our style. :-) Then we headed to Tomorrow Land for his favorite ride, Buzz Lightyear.

After the ride, I made the boys stand in our first trick-or-treat trail.  The line for the trail looked long, but it moved pretty quick.  The way the trick-or-treating works is that there are designated rides that become a treat trail. You go through the trail and get candy.  Each trail has about 3-4 candy stops. After the first candy stop on the trail, Jack was excited to hold out his treat bag and even started saying trick-or-treat.

We gave him a miniature candy bar and some M n M's when waiting in line for the next ride. Disney also hands out apple slices and other healthy snacks with the candy.  Jack did eat apples later that night when we headed back to the hotel.  But of course, he liked the candy.  I enjoyed seeing his excitement over experiencing the taste of chocolate.  No, it wasn't his first time having chocolate, but he made it seem like it was, which was totally funny (I should have taken a picture, d'oh!).

We saw the character villains and Mickey Mouse and friends in costume, but since we had pictures with characters from earlier in the day, we skipped the lines to get pictures and autographs.  We watched the special fireworks, which Jack ooh'ed and ah'ed over (he might have been quoting me). The loud noise didn't upset him, as we had practice with fireworks from 4th of July.  We missed the Halloween parade because Jack (and us) wanted to do rides instead.  We did see some daytime parades, so don't feel too bad for us.  I've heard the Halloween parade is cool, so if you go, you might want to check it out.

Overall, we all really liked Mickey's Halloween Party.  I liked the special decorations, fireworks and trick-or-treating (so pretty much all of it), Jack liked the rides and chocolate, and Bobby liked the special decorations and seeing characters that you normally don't see. We all recommend going at least once if you plan to go to Disneyland September or October.  It was spooktacular (told you I love puns)!  Happy Howl-o-ween!  ;)

Check out these websites for more info:
Disneyland- Mickey's Halloween Party
Undercovertourist- Disneyland Halloween Time

10/19/16- The Land of Disney (with a toddler)

Phew! What a whirlwind the past 3 weeks have been.  Jack has either an allergic reaction or an infection around his eye, my mom had a kidney stone removed, and Bobby, Jack, and I went to Disneyland! Despite all the downs, there were ups, and I feel lucky for the ups.                              

Back to the Disneyland mention-- we took Jack to Disneyland for the first time! Some said we were crazy. Some said we'd had fun. Maybe it was a little crazy to take a toddler to Disneyland, but it was worth the smile on Jack's face.  We had so much fun!      

Bobby and I went into this trip with the bar set low.  We expected tantrums, freak outs over seeing a giant mouse, and impatience with long lines. And that was just Bobby and I.

We knew that we'd be spending hours away from the park for naps.  We knew that meals inside the park would be expensive (although we found a decent kids lunch in Toon Town for 6.99; not bad). But there was hope, however little it was, that Jack might like it.

He likes the train ride at the mall and enjoys watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so why not a train inside Disneyland?  There was hope that all the bad things a toddler could experience at a large amusement park would be outweighed by the fun and lasting memories. Plus, children under 3 are FREE.

His free entrance was totally worth it, as Jack's excitement and happiness while at the Land of Disney blew all of the negative expectations away by the first day.  Sure there was still a melt down or two when we had to leave the park at the end of the night, but it was because he didn't want the fun to end.  Sure he didn't want to hug any of the characters, but he still got super excited to see them, pointing and exclaiming, "Mickey!  Donald! Minnie! Pluto!"

I think what made this adventure to the "happiest place on Earth" successful for our family was the prep work we did before.  Research and planning go along way; I highly recommend you do some if you're planning a first visit.  Below are some of my tips for a potentially happy toddler at Disneyland. Please share your own tips in the comments!

1) Expect crowds, long lines, and cranky people (including yourself).  You know your child and yourself best in crowds, so having contingency plans (think plans B and C for stressful situations) for Disney-LINE (as Bobby nicknames) is a good idea.  Maybe it's the engineers in Bobby and I, but using worst case analysis and coming up with possible solutions to WC, I think made the experience smoother.

2) Read the blogs and websites dedicated to Disneyland, specifically toddlers at Disneyland.  I liked  the Disney Parks blogs, where you could search on the topic of toddler. http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/

3) Choose a hotel within walking distance.  If you're child naps in a stroller/your arms, great, then you can stay at the park all day.  However, Jack requires a bed to nap, and a short walk (after lots of park walking) to go rest was awesome.

4) Consider a multi-day pass.  We did a 3 day park hopper pass (for Bobby and I; Jack didn't need a pass as remember FREE) and knowing we didn't have to cram everything into one day was nice.  We also did the Mickey Halloween Party, and if we had known that we could get into the park at 3 pm (we missed it in our research), then we would have done 2 day park hopper pass plus the Mickey Halloween Party ticket.  (I'll review Mickey's Halloween Party in a separate post, but preview, we all liked it!)

5)  Down load the park APP!  We used to it to: find toddler friendly rides (you can filter in the app); book restaurant reservations (restaurants in the park and Downtown Disney fill up fast!); find when the parades and firework times are; see if a Fast Pass for a ride was available; and most important, see what ride waiting times were.  Cutting down the wait time for ride lines with a toddler, that was priceless (the app is free, so literally no price, haha).

6) Get Fast Passes.  If you're unfamiliar with a Fast Pass, it's basically a ride reservation.  You get a ticket saying to come back to the Fast Pass line between such and such a time. You may wait a little in the Fast Pass line to ride the ride, but the wait is way shorter than the regular line.  Short waits so important on toddler clocks (see use of app above).

7) Book your entire vacation through Disney (*I am not getting any endorsement for saying this*).   Unless you're a very savvy saver, which I am not, the price to book our vacation through Disney felt fair. We got the hotel, 3 day park hopper passes, souvenir pin and photo, and coupons.  You can also pay in installments.  It was just so convenient and easy to get everything/whole vacation in one place. Plus, the vacation info comes to you in a very cute booklet (gets you and child all excited)!

8) Bring a stroller (or stroller like device).  It was nice to not have to carry Jack everywhere when he didn't want to walk, as well as it was storage for jackets, snacks, water, sunscreen, hats, blanket, diapers, souvenirs, etc.  If your kid is ain't stroller type of kid, try a wagon or one of those toy push cars with a handle or tricycles with a handle.

9) Bring snacks, water, sunscreen, hats, jackets, etc. Bringing these items were part of our backup plans to help Jack and us when number 1 above happened. Disneyland lets you bring in outside food and water (and I think even juice and milk), you just have to go through security (so yeah there's a long line there too; Disney-LINE for a reason).

10) Go with the flow and have fun (because do you have your backup plans just in case the shark hits the fan)!  Sure riding Buzz Lightyear or the Ariel Underwater Adventure ride 7 times started to wear on my nerves, but Jack loved those rides so much.  Seeing him have such fun on those rides, time after time, brought me back to happy.

Witnessing Jack's awe, amazement, enthusiasm and happiness over the rides, parades, characters, and fireworks made it feel like the first time all over again for me.  His excitement was so contagious that I almost forget we had plan B's.  All the worry over whether he'd enjoy it or not melted away in those moments. Such wonderful, happy family memories made forever.

9/29/16- The DIY Bracelet

What weird week-- I had a cold, a follow female engineer on my project retired (by choice; I'm sad to see her go but also really happy for her), spent 1-on-1 time with Jack before school today (which was fun and thus hard to focus on engineering and writing later), found out I'll be a speaker at a conference in February (yay, I'm excited!), and Bobby and I made bracelets.  Yup, you read that right, we made jewelry. And it was lot of fun.

Both Bobby and I enjoy DIY (Do It Yourself, for those who may forget or have not seen that acronym before).  Maybe it's the engineer in us, or maybe we need better hobbies, but we like DIY. My DIY preference is on the craft side, and his is on the home improvement side.  I dream of making really awesome crafts-- sometimes I make pretty stuff, and sometimes it's not so pretty.

So I was really excited when I came across Brit + Co, a site that sells DIY kits and the promise that your DIY projects will come out pretty.  And before I go on to rave about the bracelet kit I bought, I want to make it clear Brit + Co didn't pay me to talk about them or that they gave me a free kit to try (although seriously, I would love a free kit). I stumbled across their website when shopping for a friend's birthday gift. I wanted to get my friend a cat shirt; their website had one that said "purr-rito" with a cat wrapped in a tortilla (because you really needed to know that).

It's taken me 6 months to purchase one of their DIY kits.  I kept saying I didn't have the time or that the kits were too expensive.  Then Brit + Co had a 50% off sale, so I finally purchased a kit. I chose the make your own wire bracelet kit. I thought it looked easy enough for my first kit, and I love bracelets.  I knew the kit/bracelet was something I'd used.  It came in this cool box that you get to color (they send you markers!).  Jack was also really into the box and helped Bobby and I color it:

Opening the box I found almost everything I needed to make a wire bracelet: pliers/wire cutters, brass wires, a bracelet bending tool, and instructions. They suggested a ruler too, which did not come in the box, so you'd have to provide your own (I had one of course).  You can kind of eyeball where you need to make bends and cuts, but for the precise, you can use a ruler.  It came with instructions that had pictures, and you can also find additional instructions/information on the Brit + Co website. They give instructions for 3 different type of wire bracelets: zig-zag, crescent, and letters/words (so it spells out hey or such).

I got to work on the zig-zag design after dinner (of this Tuesday).  It took me about 15 minutes to complete (with an assist from Bobby). I had planned to cut the zig-zag bracelet to fit my wrist, but Jack got super interested in what I was making and took the bracelet and pliers from me before I made the cut.  I took back the pliers and let him play with bracelet.  The next night I made the crescent shape bracelet, and Bobby made a letters one.

This time it was after Jack went to bed, so I got to cut my bracelets and fit them to my wrist.  It was a fun activity to do together as a couple, and we've talked about purchasing another kit for the future date nights in (can't go out? date nights in are a close substitute; I'll list some ideas for you in another blog).   We've made 4 out of the 6 bracelets that the kit has and plan to finish the other 2 sometime later this week, maybe with a bottle of wine.  Should be a good time. :-)

We both also realized how much fun Jack had pretending to make the zig-zag bracelet (when he was playing with the bracelet on Tuesday, he tried to twist it like he had seen mommy do). Bobby and I talked about making pipe cleaner and plastic bead bracelets with him in the next week or so. Piper cleaners are easy to twist and string beads on, so there'd be many variations for him to create a unique piece of jewelry.  I am really excited to be able to craft, build, and DIY together as a family.  Being able to DIY together warms my heart-- we're a DIY loving family, what can I say?

Leave me a comment on your favorite hobby, individually or with family and friends!   And check out the final product below. No "Pinterest Fail" this time, haha!  Happy DIY, or what floats your hobby boat, to all!

Link to Brit + Co DIY Kits

9/20/16- Failing

It was fall 2001, and the weather starting to cool down in Phoenix.  So it was 95 degrees for the high versus 110 degrees (I realize I like to talk a lot about how hot it is here, ha).  I was in my sophomore year at Arizona State University, studying electrical engineering.  I had just received a letter from ASU.  Not unusual to get mail from the school you attend, but this piece of mail was different.  It had "open now" or "urgent" marked on it. As I anxiously opened it up, my stomach sank to my feet.  I was failing Physics III.

I had received my first ever midterm warning.  All through high school, I had never received a midterm warning. In fact, I was a straight A student.  But studying electrical engineering at college was stressing my GPA. Freshmen year I ended up receiving 2 B's and 2 A's, averaging a 3.5 GPA.  I reluctantly accepted that I wasn't an A student anymore over the first summer break.  I continued on to sophomore year a little disappointed, but a 3.5 was acceptable.  I wasn't defeated.  I was determined to continue on.

I felt immense shame reading this midterm warning letter.  I had never failed at a class before.  I had gotten B's in Physics I and II, and even aced Physics in high school.  I should not be failing, I remember thinking.  I also recall thinking that my parents are going to be so disappointed in me. Looking back right now, I can't even tell you why I was failing.  But I was, and it made me doubt myself.  I thought, maybe engineering isn't for me.

I had dinner, or maybe it was lunch, later in the week with my parents.  I was dreading this meal with them because I knew I had to tell them that I'm failing. Sure, I could have withheld the information, but I knew deep down they'd find out eventually.  They were paying my tuition, so my line of thought was they'd put it together from the tuition bills or something like that.  Them finding out on their own was probably a small risk, but not one I wanted to take.  Better to tell them I thought. I don't remember how I told them, if it was a gradual build (I've done well so far, I'm studying hard, but also working, etc.) or if it was blunt (blurted out, I'm failing a class!).

To my surprise, my dad, also an electrical engineer, responded that it was okay.  He also came close to failing some classes and ended up as a C student in his undergraduate program (he did better in his graduate program, to note).  I was a little shocked to learn that my dad, someone who I consider very smart and successful in engineering, had been a C student in college.  It almost immediately changed my perspective on grades and on what it meant to be an engineer.  I didn't have to be a perfect A student to be an engineer.

I worked hard, and by the end of the semester, I got a C in Physics III.  If I remember my other grades correctly from that semester, I got a 2 A's and B.  By time graduation rolled around, I had 3.1 GPA. Not too shabby for someone in danger of failing a class and potentially being put on academic probation.  My husband has his own wonderful (yes wonderful) failure story as well.

Hi College Me! Keep it up!

He failed Calc I (or maybe it was Calc II) TWO times and was on academic probation.  His academic adviser even "advised" him that engineering is not for you and that he should switch majors.  He was on the verge of changing majors until his brother said, come on dude, don't give up (I'm paraphrasing).  He passed Calc I the third time.  He told me it finally "just clicked" the third time around (3rd times a charm :-)). He's now a successful (in my biased opinion) manager after many years of being a mechanical engineer.

The reason I'm sharing my story, my dad's story, and my hubby's story, is I want you to know that we weren't perfect engineering students. That we struggled and failed.  If you meet us today, you might think to yourself, Suzie, her hubby and her dad are doing so well at work and engineering comes easy for them.  Engineering was (and at times still is for me) a struggle for us.  I know other engineers that struggled as well and whose stories could fill another post.

I want you to know that if you are struggling, you're not alone.  If there is even a tiny little bit of desire in you, don't let some bad grade, some adviser, some bad performance review, some manager, and so on STOP you. One of my favorite lines from Galaxy Quest is, "Never give up, never surrender,"  and it is very applicable to our stories of failure.  We failed, but we never gave up, never surrendered.

9/14/16- Jack Turns 2!

Jack turned 2 the past week, and I only freaked out a little bit.  By freaked out, I mean I balled my eyes. I cried most of August 28th.  August 28 was when his preschool/daycare moved him up to the next class. It was a few days before his actual birthday. And seeing him the next level up really hit me hard.  It hit the hubby hard too.  I was very melancholy and sad that whole week.  Bobby called it a week of nostalgic reflection (that sounds so much better than sad).

I was nostalgically reflecting that week because my baby is no longer a baby.  Of course metaphorically speaking he always be my baby, but physically, he no longer looks like a baby or acts like a baby. Seeing him in room full of toddlers was so shocking.  I think 2 has hit me harder than 1 did. At 1, he still looked like a baby and had baby needs.  Sure I was reflecting at 1 as well, but my excitement trumped any melancholy. With 2, there was mostly just nostalgic reflection.

Also here's a tip for you. When performing nostalgic reflection about how your baby is not a baby anymore (or any other type of nostalgic reflections), do NOT watch TV shows that have sentimental values (it was The O.C for me). Or listen to "Landslide."  Or read "I Love You Forever."  I have a love/hate relationship with that shark book.

With work (which I also have a love/hate relationship with), Jack's party (no crying this year from birthday boy, so success!), and the nostalgic reflection, I did not blog (blog is a verb now, right? Just like google?).  I had also planned to make this awesome slide show that had a picture of each month Jack's been a live, depicting the change from baby to kid. And it was going to either be set to Stevie Nick's "Landslide" (see nostalgic reflection don'ts above) or Jack's favorite song "Skidamarink."

So that awesome slide show did not get made. We'll just have to settle for a newborn pic, 1 year old pic, and 2 year old pic. Settling is always good. Homer taught it to Bart, and I'll teach it to Jack (sorry had to make Simpsons reference/joke). (And I apologize for all the parentheses in this post.  I think I'm still nostalgically reflecting.)

Just born!

1st birthday

2nd birthday

Leave a note in the comments or Facebook about any nostalgic reflection you do, including shows, books, songs, movie that help you in your reflection.  "See" ya next week!