We have been experiencing some very dry January weather lately, which is nice after all that snow we got last month. But down here in the southern end of the Willamette Valley, all we seem to get is fog! For most of last week, we had dense, cold fog all day long, and the temperature hovered in the 30s. Even though it was dry, I didn't feel like going outside with Morgan - it was just too cold and dreary. I realized I was going a little crazy and needed to get out of town, so I planned a family day at the beach, which I knew had been warmer and sunnier than Eugene. We loaded up the car and Morgan last Sunday and headed to Yachats, a small town north of Florence. 
As we left Eugene, the sun was actually shining and making all the frost-covered plants sparkle. It was strange to be heading to the sunny beach on such a frozen winter's day. The drive was really nice, and it was fun to be on a different highway than the one we normally take to Oceanside. When we arrived in Florence, we drove north along the gorgeous coast with the sun shining! It's a neat stretch of coastline with rocky coves, crashing waves, and lighthouses. We stopped at one viewpoint and saw at least 50 harbor seals sunning themselves on the rocks.
Since traveling with a toddler dictates our schedule a bit, we decided to have an early lunch in Yachats. I had never been there before, and it is a cute little village with a river leading out to the sea. We rarely go out to eat these days, so it was fun to take Morgan to lunch. There was a band playing and Morgan was fascinated with the music. She swayed to the beat and stared at the singers. After lunch, we went to the nearby beach where the river meets the sea. We found a sunny spot out of the wind, where Morgan could watch dogs, seagulls, and play in the sand. But more than anything, she wanted to walk! She is getting close to running and so she went speedwalking toward the sea. We had a hard time keeping up with her. My normally clingy daughter could have cared less that she was yards away from her mom in a strange place. She was having a ball with all that freedom! 
We left in the afternoon when we could tell Morgan was running out of steam. Even though we were only gone a few hours, I had such a good time. I guess I didn't realize how much I needed a change of scenery and a break from the winter weather. Plus getting away just as a family gives Sam and I the chance to catch up on things and have real conversations about our lives, which doesn't seem to happen when we are in front of the TV or chasing after Morgan. Surviving parenthood (and life, for that matter) is all about finding balance with what is important in your life. Getting off kilter is bound to happen once in a while, but recognizing it and getting back to that happy place is a lesson I am finally figuring out.
Below is a video of Morgan in the car driving home from the beach. She is learning words at an astonishing rate these days (and teething at the same time), but this seems to be her favorite phrase. (When she says "see see?" that means she wants me to show her her picture in the camera - she has already figured out life in a digital world!)
While my busy toddler naps, I sit here trying to think of her latest and greatest adventures. It seems like she is changing and evolving (and moving!) so quickly these days, I am just trying to keep up. All of Morgan's new little skills - asking to be picked "up! up!", wanting to climb on the couch, requesting "crackahs" - are all cute, sometimes annoying, and definitely imitations of what the adults around her do! Her demands seem to be increasing daily, and often puzzle me. Only later do I realize that she is mimicking everything we do! It's both a compliment and an insult. Kids really are a reflection of us, and I am seeing both the good, bad, and ugly of myself. Not only do I like to sing, read books, share, cuddle, and play (according to my daughter), but I also like to sit around on the couch, get snacks from the cupboard frequently, talk on the phone, and sigh loudly when I get frustrated! These kinds of things are all she in interested in doing these days, despite the oodles of toys strewn throughout the house. What Mommy (or Daddy or her nanny) do is just what Morgan wants to do! So that has made me reflect lately on the type of role model I am for my daughter.
There are some benefits to this stage in her development: she loves to sweep the floor, push the laundry basket around, and sort her toys. She is really into collecting blocks, dishes or small toys, putting them in a bag or tub, dumping them out, and then putting them back in. She can keep herself occupied for quite a long time, and I am thrilled that objects are actually being picked up after being dumped out! But then what do all these skills say about what I do all day? Clean, do laundry, pick up stuff, organize it, etc. Perhaps I should be doing other things with Morgan besides household stuff (isn't that just reinforcing traditional gender stereotypes?) I suppose I could get all philosophical about it, but I realize it's just a phase and she has A LOT more time to learn all about what she can do. I should find it flattering that she wants to be like Mommy, and I promise to teach her that she can do or be anything she wants in this world. (Although she has taken a recent interest in throwing a ball around, so that makes Sam happy!)
Here are a couple of the videos I was trying to post. One shows some clips from Christmas with my family - highlighting the typical joys of family chaos and fun. The other clip is Morgan doing stunt riding on her new wooden scooter. As you can see, she is getting more and more talkative these days and finding most things in life quite hilarious. She continues to be our happy (and over-confident) girl!
(PS: Morgan didn't even cry after falling - don't worry!)
As we left Eugene, the sun was actually shining and making all the frost-covered plants sparkle. It was strange to be heading to the sunny beach on such a frozen winter's day. The drive was really nice, and it was fun to be on a different highway than the one we normally take to Oceanside. When we arrived in Florence, we drove north along the gorgeous coast with the sun shining! It's a neat stretch of coastline with rocky coves, crashing waves, and lighthouses. We stopped at one viewpoint and saw at least 50 harbor seals sunning themselves on the rocks.
Since traveling with a toddler dictates our schedule a bit, we decided to have an early lunch in Yachats. I had never been there before, and it is a cute little village with a river leading out to the sea. We rarely go out to eat these days, so it was fun to take Morgan to lunch. There was a band playing and Morgan was fascinated with the music. She swayed to the beat and stared at the singers. After lunch, we went to the nearby beach where the river meets the sea. We found a sunny spot out of the wind, where Morgan could watch dogs, seagulls, and play in the sand. But more than anything, she wanted to walk! She is getting close to running and so she went speedwalking toward the sea. We had a hard time keeping up with her. My normally clingy daughter could have cared less that she was yards away from her mom in a strange place. She was having a ball with all that freedom! 
We left in the afternoon when we could tell Morgan was running out of steam. Even though we were only gone a few hours, I had such a good time. I guess I didn't realize how much I needed a change of scenery and a break from the winter weather. Plus getting away just as a family gives Sam and I the chance to catch up on things and have real conversations about our lives, which doesn't seem to happen when we are in front of the TV or chasing after Morgan. Surviving parenthood (and life, for that matter) is all about finding balance with what is important in your life. Getting off kilter is bound to happen once in a while, but recognizing it and getting back to that happy place is a lesson I am finally figuring out. 
