Adventures in Drool No. 1

Returning rejuvenated and ready to roll

We recently returned from a long weekend trip to North Carolina. I am thankful for the beautiful weather, my lovely little family and life.

Traveling with a four-month-old is a daunting task. Just getting the car packed was a chore. On Friday morning we started loading up the family truckster to head to Nags Head. Car seat, stroller, portable crib, bumbo chair, and enough diapers, wipes and spit rags to serve an army were piled into the back of our station wagon. On top of that went my weekend bag and my husband's duffel bag. All this for four days...

The good side is that I can honestly say I returned home rejuvenated and ready to roll back into work and our day-to-day life.

My baby drools, does yours?

If drool could power my car, I could drive around the world on the moisture exiting my baby. My constant companion when traveling with baby is a spit rag. We use cloth diapers mostly, but any dry piece of fabric will ultimately be called into duty when baby is near.

Drool is just a fantastic substance. It is not only wet, but sticky, gloppy and runny. I often joke we should collect it as it runs out of baby's mouth, like collecting sap out of maple trees. If only drool could be made into a delicious syrup, like the maple is; although, that would likely not be good for my diet.

Until I find a suitable use for the drool, I imagine I will continue cleaning it up from every surface until my child finally produces some teeth or learns to swallow it, whichever comes first.

Any drool-related stories or tips, let me know - rachel@capegazette.com.

Back to the beginning

The Outer Banks of North Carolina are just beautiful. We had perfect weather with sunshine and light breezes. The main mission of the trip was to visit the Wright Brothers Memorial.

Being that I wasn't born with wings, I have always had a fascination with flight. I can't imagine living in the early 1900s and deciding that I would fly when no one else had. Imagine the determination and the bravery it took for the Wright brothers to try to fly. Besides the bodily harm that could result, the sheer mechanics of launching a body into the air and sustaining flight is a massive undertaking.

I hope my son grows up continuing to be fascinated, as I am, with man's ability to make dreams come true. I also hope man continues to be fascinated with the world around him and to make the impossible possible. Our gifts abound and nothing should be taken for granted.

Remember to be thankful as we enter the Thanksgiving and holiday season. I know I will thank the Wright brothers and all those who made today's ease of living possible by the sweat of their brow and the strength of their backs.

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." ~Henry David Thoreau