Homemade

I have no pictures of the children....I'll probably amend that and attach a few since I know that is what everyone looks for when it's me blogging...I just wanted to tell our 17 readers that I made my own laundry detergent today.  What am I coming to?  Cloth diapers, homemade detergent...I even bought some essential oils to see how I could make my own cleaning solutions.  I think it's probably kind of trendy in a weird way because these things are popping up all over blogs and pintrest....i mean, tapiture. Anyway, if you care, I let you know how it turns out.

Also happening - meetings at preschool for the new advisory board for 2013 - 2014.  Crazy.  I'm big time now, preschool advisory board, homeowner, mom to 2 toddlers, making my own laundry detergent.  Watch out world.

Also, some people I am following on twitter and so whose blogs I read while I yell ask P nicely to stay in his room for rest time.

Rachel Held Evans

Sarah Bessey

Momastery

Homeownership 101

Remember way back in December when I told we bought a house and I would post soon about it?! Fear not!  You haven't missed the house tour, because here it finally is.  Maybe, I'm not sure what pictures I have.  For now, the sweet baby is asleep and the crazy boy is reading to his animals in the pack and play.  I find myself trying to type slowly and softly so I can hear his sweet voice reading aloud.  For all of the times we fight about staying in his room during rest time, today I find myself wanting to rush in and read with him.  Alone time though, is hard to come by, and good for us both.

At any rate, we are now homeowners of a cute little house on a small tree lined street in college park - only 4 blocks from overbrook.  Sweet paradise.  Paradise with lots of lizards, and a nice black racer we call Sam the Snake.  Hold for a moment while I try to find pictures....

This fun event happened as we were unpacking some kids things and discovered Peter's johnny jump up.  What a great toy for Lucy! Until P started pushing like a swing and it quickly became an accident waiting to happen that actually happened.  But this is in the door frame of L's room which looks right into the kitchen - so she hangs there from time to time when I need to be cooking or cleaning - which is a lot.  A lot of cleaning.  We painted the entire house before we moved in (Benjamin Moore for those wondering...a nice Smoke Embers most places and some Nantucket Fog in some bedrooms.  The fog looks exactly like the shade of blue /gray that is all over my moms house.  Unintentional.  I am my mother - I'm so proud.).  And we put in some new carpet - because honestly, no matter who lived here before - you want to be laying on nice new clean carpet.  Its stained already.  I love babies.  Anyway, the next one is L in her new room.  So far it is my favorite, but I think that is because she has never had a room of her own and I finally got to hang all of her Lovely Lucy art and signs, and Bible verses from our special friends, the Aunts, and she loves it.  She goes in to read often and throws herself against those pillows you see in the background.  She also LOVES looking out her window and acts so surprised every time she sees the flag blowing in the wind.

And these are the babes playing in P's new room.  They really are loving the freedom of being able to run around everywhere and find their way to their rooms.  I love it too, I can see or hear them wherever there are from just standing in the kitchen, or living room.  And lets face it, I can hear them wherever they are because they are loud.  And then you see P man having story time in his room with his animals.  

Aunt T was gone for such a long time!!!  This is our backyard....I'll post the after pics in a few weeks - BML and others have put in a lot of work to get this yard kid friendly and fun, stumps ground and sod is coming on Monday!  I can really hardly stand the wait as I love the idea of just playing in the back all afternoon long.  And really, I don't mind them being complete pig pens in a mud pit everyday - but its tough to get the stains our of their clothes and we're operating on a budget here.  But i did find a bunch of terra cotta pots in the back - where the snakes were living.  So I have been "tapping" on www.tapiture.com (the new and totally awesome website from CMD) all sorts of ideas for container gardening.  Next time you check back in I might have made my own rain barrel, compost pile and be growing  strawberries.  Be aware, I am also tapping make your own granola bars, neosporin, laundry detergent, and cleaning supplies.  So far I haven't made it too far since you have to spend money to save money apparently.  Anyway.

And now the boys are cleaning off the porch with their "pow pow" machines and thought it was hilarious that L was stuck in the middle so she got caught in the wind tunnel.  She thought it was awesome.  P loves doing "chores" around the house so he is in charge of vacuuming and sweeping the concrete porch.

More backyard befores....we're really excited about that tree you can barely see but is enormous.  In the coming months we'll have someone come and check it out, trim some limbs and try desperately to care for it a little better then its previous owners....some people have told us it might be dead, others are sure it is alive and well, we're determined to clean it up!  Someday....

We have lots of helpers around here who fight over the best screwdriver.  Here is everyone reconstructing our ikea shelves for the 6th time.  BML and I continue to be impressed at how well our Ikea furniture has held up in every single one of our moves.  I love that place, I'm embarrassed about it.

And lastly, I finally cleaned out our guest room for you!!!  Separate entrance, full bathroom, converted from the garage so if you visit in the summer it will be nice and cool!!!

One day soon we'll have start having some friends over for playdates, happy hours & cookouts.  Not at the moment though or they will end up coming home looking like this.

We love her.

Anxiety

Lately I have been fairly consumed with anxiety about what my life will look like when I finish the MBA courses in April. I've been fortunate enough to do some pretty amazing traveling and my 2013 resolution to "Always Be Adventuring" is off to a roaring start. But I'm still worried every day that my life won't have the impact I desire - that I'll somehow be forgotten. Too much time has been spent comparing myself to others, in their whole lives, accomplishments, daily activities and too little time has been spent given myself room to experiment with new career paths or even recognizing my own accomplishments. My brain was spinning around in my head trying to determine the next best plan. Then a mentor of mine suggested that I actually write things down. Imagine that. So pasted below is that document. It's dynamic, and I'll consult it when the time comes to decide one career path over the other. For now, I'm going to continue adventuring and continue to dare greatly. (and I'll post International Travel Blogs about Argentina and France very soon)

Taylor Dalton - 

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:11-12

Core Beliefs/Values:

 I am confident in my own ability to manage my life (and learning to be more confident in God’s plan – always hopeful they are the same).

I value honesty, loyalty, and care about the needs of others.

I am bold, assertive, and thrive in dynamic environments.

I take pride and ownership in all that I do; it’s important to do things properly, accurately.

I value collaboration and enjoy helping people build their talents.

I am a fighter; for me, for my family, for people I think have been oppressed.

I value intellectual curiosity and discovery.

I am strong-willed and independent.

I desire to leave a lasting impression – in people, communities, organizations, etc.

I believe in living a life (whole life: work, play, home) so that people will know that I love Jesus, but will do so in a way that reflects a personal relationship, not one determined by others.  

Gifts:

Persuasion

Decision-making

Trustworthiness

Critical thinking / Problem Solving

Keeping things moving – taking action

Communication

Eye for detail

Independence

Leadership

Passion – communicating the potential

Adaptive

Passion:

Love talking/acting on larger scale issues. Desperate to feel part of something bigger.

Challenging the norm – innovating or creating new processes

Writing, creating, telling stories

Active, dynamic work –tangible results with immediate impact. Implementing ideas

Working with people to bring out their best.

Righting wrongs; overcoming obstacles

Discovering new things – intellectual curiosity

Problem solving

Challenging myself through new projects, or physical activity

Job Criteria 

+	-
Non-routine work	Routine – same process
Autonomy	Micro management
Tangible results	Report writing without action
Generalist	Too specialized/pigeon-holed
Self-directed but collaborative	Lack of follow through
Enacting change	Red tape bureaucracy
Sense of belonging	Every person for his/herself
Central Florida	Outside USA
High energy & fun	Inactive all desk work
Growth potential
Focused direction
Some travel
Small/medium size
National/global implications of work, still committed to local community.

hey there. its me.

Readers.  Dear readers.  How I have neglected you so.  Please.  Please accept my apologies for keeping you in the dark for so long. Please.

I had to go back and see where I had left you, and as it turns out, even though it was a long time ago, it was probably the perfect place.  My new adventure.  It's already been a crazy run.  Tapiture (my job/adventure) is in the process of blowing up, and I have a front row seat for it.  We recently raised a seed round of just under one million dollars and have been written up in countless (I mean, you can count them, but I don't feel like going back through and actually doing that) publications.  Since I was hired in November as an intern+, I have slid firmly into my role as the Community Manager.  A role that covers all the customer service/support emails, social media, and editing/content curation.  I'll soon be leading an associate editor and team of interns in the curation of the site as we continue to grow.  We have hired a mobile app developer, an intern, a buyer, and as of today the associate editor and another back-end developer.  Our band of merry men is growing exponentially (and gender-ly).  Tomorrow, I interview two more interns to round out our team, for now.  I have no doubt we will be as large as 15 by the end of the year.  That will be triple the size we were when I was hired.  Next quarter, we are launching an e-commerce platform on the site.  This is particularly cool because no site is really doing what we are doing with the social sharing of content coupled with the ability to buy clothes/accessories/gear/gadgets straight from the site.  We already have a small group of merchants ready to list on the site when we launch, and our buyer will be hitting the ground drumming up more companies for us to work with.  We will also be releasing an app soon that is sure to send a spike of users our way.  As we continue to grow, and there is more and more to do, and in turn,  I am seeing my responsibilities grow.  I work pretty much all the time, but when you are part of something so exciting, it doesn't (always) seem like work.  Although, I will say, sometimes it gets old not turning off your computer until midnight (assuming I finish this post in the next half hour, which I'm going to do regardless of if I'm finished, so deal with it).  Any time I need to have a break from the computer screen I can always just look to my left and watch the ocean for a minute.  I can't remember if I told you last time that our office is ON the beach.  There is some other stuff upcoming that is exciting but I can't really talk about yet, so stay tuned.  Also, you can create a google alert for "Tapiture" and read about us when we are in the news.  It happens relatively often.

In other, non-related news, I went up to San Francisco to visit some friends slash help them with a project.  They are launching an app called "Traffic" and wanted some help creating an online marketing video.  I was happy to help.  The app is sort of like a Yelp, but instead of getting reviews from a stranger, you follow your friends(and/or people they know) for reviews.  Places are given a red, yellow, or green light and there is a fixed number of characters to describe why/why not to go there and what/what not to get etc.  It is a very cool idea, and I believe it will do well.  Shooting the videos was a lot of fun, and I think they turned out well.  Here are two of them:

Trevor (Part One)

Trevor (Part Two)

There will be a part 3, but I'm not sure when that will be.

Colorado

My friend Sallyanne got married in Beaver Creek, CO a few months ago. To say that I had been excited to go to this event would be a giant understatement. Sal and I met at Vanderbilt and reconnected when we both lived in San Francisco. Truthfully, she was a big reason why I loved the city so much (despite the job woes). Her fiance (now husband), Brian quickly fell in love with Pax and a long-term long-distance relationship was born. Anyway, so VU friends are coming to this shindig, San Fran peeps will be there, and the local is in one of my most favorite parts of the county and another former home, Colorado. This is going to be epic.

 I arrive in the Denver International Airport to some snow. In early October. I am not prepared for this anymore. The amazingly helpful people at Enterprise rent-a-car upgrade my rental ride into one that is a little heavier than the cheapest Ford Fusion I had selected. I'm just praying I don't need chains for my drive up the mountain. My buddy KO agrees to take a long lunch break and meet me at a local brewery in Downtown Denver. My love for this city grows by the second. One of my favorite things about hanging out with KO is that he is convinced that all of this roaming, exploring, second guessing, career seeking business I've got myself in will somehow work itself out. My friends believe in me. Speaking of those kinds of friends, I leave lunch with KO in order to drive over to Boulder to visit with another buddy. Noodle's been a pal since I first moved to Breckenridge. I'm surprised our friendship has lasted through the moves and distance until I see her again - when everything just feels normal. Delicious dinner at our usual spot(s) The Kitchen and The Med. Crash in her fabulous guest room. Wake up to a fresh and beautiful blanket of snow! I am loving this visit already.

Sal & B's wedding is on a Friday. This is totally fine with me since it means more time in the mountains. I drive up to Beaver Creek to check in to the fabulous Pines Lodge and wait for some VU buds to join in on the fun. They are taking an annoyingly long time; then Sims calls to tell me that CBird has had a difficult time renting a car since she forgot her drivers license. Good to know not much has changed since college. I think. I have to fast forward a little bit so that I get to the fun stuff before losing all 16 readers but needless to say, we squealed a little, rushed to get dressed, and made our way to the chapel for the big ceremony. Hopefully the bridge and groom didn't hear us because we were giggling at ourselves the whole service. The reception was immaculate - seriously Beaver Creek, CO might be one of the most beautiful places on the planet in early winter. Because the Flemings clearly know their way around a good party, my friends and I are seated in a prime location: between a bar and the dance floor. Perfection. Drinks are had. Dancing commences. Moves you've never seen before. More drinks. Shoes come off. More insane moves. Of course I could use another beer. Wigs? She brought blue wigs to her wedding? I'll be wearing one of those. On second thought, it makes my head hot and interferes with my dancing. More drinks. CBird and Sims head out to ensure that C catches her early morning flight back to Texas. Everyone makes fun of her travel schedule - in CO for less than 36 hours. They do not return. I am loving life and decide to continue the party in "downtown Beaver Creek".  

And before I know it is 4am and I am still out! No problem! I'll just walk myself back to the Pines, get myself all warm and snuggled in the giant bed and sleep until noon. So I meander my way to some doors, ridiculously determined to not make a scene in my escape - after all no one likes to be the one that can't hang until the party is really over. Whoa. This place is dark and maze like. Some doors are locked, some lead to the inside, some lead to hallways to no where. I have no idea where I am (aside from the Village and I know my way around that). Luckily, I am smart and resourceful and recognize that if I can just find my way to the main doors, then I can locate the road and hike home from there instead of the "through the woods" version I took earlier. I succeed in this. I am both proud and embarrassed by this fact. It is dark and cold. I am in a wedding-ish dress, bare legs, and wedges (ie barefoot) and, as CMD would say, wearing perfume of booze and bad decisions. 

A fox walks with me most of the way. The fox and I become weekend friends. I am worried that Apple Maps will fail me in my time of need. I hear a bear in the trash can near-by.The fox skedaddles. I finally call Sims (since I know she has to be up early) to let her know that I should be arriving in the next ten minutes. I hear her throw on shoes and open the door while she tells me that she is coming to get me. I don't think this is a good idea. I know where I am, but I don't know where I am in relation to where she is. What if we miss each other? Just as I hang up, I turn the corner to see the entrance to the Pines Lodge and thank Jesus for letting me arrive safely. I run into Sims just as she is about to exit. Whew. I have to wrap my feet and hands in blankets as I go to sleep for the rest of the night. We fall into the bed, almost crying from laughter. 

The next morning, just as Sims and I were about to begin our "post-wedding" recovery hike, we receive a text from the newly married couple. Anyone interested in a lumberjack competition in Red Cliff, CO? Um. Heck yes! You do not pass up opportunities like that. So we all pile into a few cars and drive the highway through Minturn and over to a tiny town (that surely gets snowed in most winter) to partake in some keg throwing, ax throwing, archery, cornhole, and the best bloody mary's ever made. Life is so good.

Just when you think the weekend can't get any better (seriously, I think about this time I was mentally packing up my bags and searching craigslist for apartments in Colorado) I get in touch with Amy (who is not a sister, but shares a last name and might as well be one) who agrees to meet me in Breckenridge for a hike and to see if we couldn't relive some of our glory days. We hiked about 6 miles through the Blue River trails behind my old house, told silly stories, talked about what we wanted out of life generally just enjoying each others company. 

By the time we were finished, Amy was ready to move back to the mountains with me. And then. The sky opened up and God said "Listen to me! I gave you an incredible weekend in a beautiful place. But don't you go stretching that out to actually living here again". And in about 0.5 seconds the temperature plummetted, the wind started howling and we both recalled the nickname "BreckenFRIDGE". Well played, God's plan. Well played. 

Then to top it off ADalton and I wrangled another buddy into the Breck Brewery (since everything else was closed) for some mountain brews and catching up. Again. My life is awesome. Cheers to the Vanderbilt friends, Colorado friends, and San Francisco friends. Maybe it's time I stop putting you all in seperate categories. It is because of you all that my life is awesome. But no, I'm not planning on moving again in the near future. 

Perfect Attendance Award

Growing up, did you know there was an attendance award?  There was, and I was awarded it.  A lot.  Supposedly it should be a source of pride, it's not really.  Maybe if it were I would have better attendance here on this blog.  Supposedly it was going to be the great communicator between all of us siblings, and those of you on the outside who like a glimpse of the inside.  Failure.  Here's to new beginnings!! Don't you just love the new year? I LOVE my nice new moleskin calendar so completely bare and clean and awesome.  I can't wait to fill it up with all sorts of fun things, and probably some not so fun things (but I can wait for those).

 But we just aren't quite there yet, so I'm sitting here tonight being thankful for my sleeping one year old girl upstairs, and my rowdy 3 year old boy right here negotiating a bedtime.  I'm thankful for two really great, really fun families with which to spend birthdays, Thanksgivings, and Christmases.  Speaking of, side note, we had SUCH a fun time in North Carolina for P man's birthday and Thanksgiving.  Peter had tons of balloons, got a train, decorated his own cake (a huge hit), and visited the world famous Asheboro Zoo, not to mention his grandma let him go fishing for his presents and both kids fell in love with Auntie Tess and Uncle Jonathan. I'm thankful for a busy, full, fun, fighting, and loving house and all of the people in it and who visit it.  There is so rarely a dull moment...and we usually sleep through those.

I'm thankful for my incredible college friend who hosted me, MLL, and FTD in NYC for an extended weekend.  We saw as much of NYC as we possibly could with two little girls, including Central Park, FAO Swartcz,  the Rockettes and Radio City Music Hall, the tree in Rockefeller Center, St. Patricks Cathedral, Times Square at night, we walked High Line Park, took a cab with babies in the bjorns, stopped traffic in Grand Central Station, saw the Bloomingdale's Santa,  and pretty much walked all of Manhattan in a long afternoon.  Of all of these things, we loved visiting MEByrd the most.  And clearly our stop in a NYC dive diner with none other than the soon to be Dr. Gordy.  It was awesome.

I'm thankful for P's preschool which he ADORES and for how it is helping teach him about the meaning of Christmas when it is so easy to get caught up in the festivities.  P and L loved setting up all of the nativities & Holy Families and talking about the birth of baby Jesus.  We went to the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, which if i were honest, I would say that I was nervous about how tacky or blasphemous it might be.  I dare you not to tear up when the angels descend singing hallelujah and your 3yr old exclaims "the baby is here!"  Though also happening on that trip a life sized replica of a Jesus was standing on some waves and started speaking as we walked by....."PETER, COME TO ME..." It was hysterical to watch our sweet boy explain that Jesus was talking to him (it was actually a reenactment of Peter and Jesus walking on water, still awesome).  We rode the Christmas Cannonball Express to the North Pole just like the Polar Express and drank hot chocolate, ate cookies, and got a bell from Santa's sleigh from Santa himself.

And then, RBD II, LTD, RBD III, FTD, LDL, BML, CMD, PDL and MLL were all in the same house, under the same roof, asleep in our beds on Christmas Eve.  Magical.

See you in 2013.  Promise.

oh.  and we bought a house.  we'll move soon, and update you then!