This Take Me Back Thursday comes from years ago when Mr. Alexander and I visited family on Guam. It’s one of my fave pics of us. 🙂
Hope your week’s going well!
Hugs,
Melia
family
At Port Defiance
Welcome to Travel Bug Tuesday!
A little while ago, my SissyLu 2 was in the Pacific Northwest for work. And since I hadn’t seen her in what felt like *forever*, of course I made the ten-hour round trip drive to spend an afternoon with her! What can I say? I kinda like her a lot. 🙂
We ended up exploring the Seattle area a bit, and I totally loved not knowing what was around the next corner. That’s the fun of it! And by driving awhile, we ended up at Port Defiance. Check out the pics!
It always amazes me how quickly time flies when I’m having an awesome time! And the drive was so worth it to touch base with SissyLu 2 again. Makes me wish she lived close enough were I can drive to see her every so often. Ah, well. Perhaps one day. . ..
How far would you go to spend a short amount of time with your sister/brother/parents?
Tuesday hugs,
Melia
School Daze
Welcome to Take Me Back Thursday!
And so it begins – another school year. Where did the summer go? *sigh*
Well, dear friends, this is what Niece 2’s locker looked like when she started high school last year:
Freshman year’s now history. Sophomore year? Bring it!
Happy TMB Thursday!
~Melia
Skating on Blades
Welcome to Take Me Back Thursday!
I grew up on Guam, a gorgeous tropical island in the South Pacific where most sports involved sunshine, the beach, or both.
Needless to say, 
ice skating wasn’t something I did growing up. Nor was it anything I picked up right away – or at all, for that matter.
But several years ago, when SissyLu brought Niece, Niece 2, and Niece 3 to visit she insisted on an afternoon at the ice skating rink. (God love her! She hauled her three kids and our mother on an airplane and through three airports to get here.)
Ice skating. Right.
As you can see from the picture, I spent most of the time hanging onto the rail! But it was only because I was responsible for keeping an eye on Niece 3. 😉
Still glad I did it, though, cause some things are worth doing just for the warm and fuzzy memories that come flooding back when you remember them.
Have you ever done something and been glad you did? Please share!
Thursday hugs,
Melia
Going Bananas!
And today’s Take Me Back Thursday comes from NOLA – New Orleans, Louisiana.
Once upon a time, I traveled to NOLA for a day job conference. Mr. A came along for a bit of R and R while I attended workshops. But when night came, NOLA was ours to explore!
We had dinner one night at Brennan’s, the restaurant that gave birth to Bananas Foster. So what a great surprise when our server offered to have us help make one of our fave deserts. No way were we turning that one down!
The Bananas Foster was wonderfully rich and creamy, not too sweet, and with the right amount of warm and cold elements that made it so special! NOM!
Do you have a desert that’s a must-eat when you’re out? Please share!
~Melia
There She Goes
Welcome to Mash-Up Monday, where I pretty much toss in stuff that doesn’t fit into the other four days that I blog. 🙂
Niece 2’s gone.
Gone as in, one day a few weeks ago, before the butt-crack of dawn, I hauled her to the airport to put her on a plane. In spite of my trepidation and flat-out anxiety over her getting lost somewhere between here and Guam (did you know that kids aren’t 
escorted on planes anymore?), she was completely focused on getting back to sunshine and warm beaches and island food.
Yep. This kid of mine, who I’d hauled to school the past year, and sometimes brought home at the end of the day, who totally messed with my CrossFit schedule so I could take her to tumbling class or a Petanque match or Cheer squad practice, left. And without a look back. I kid you not. . ..
The house has been strangely quiet ever since. Eerily so. Gone was the pop music blaring out of her computer or the house speakers, gone was the singing at the top of her lungs, and gone were those moments when I’d wander into a room and find her quietly reading like a total angel. It amazes me how much impact a kid can have on life – most of it good, all of it enriching. And while I brood over how she left, I give thanks in the knowledge that by Thursday she’ll be home again.
And that’s probably about the time I’ll miss the peace and quiet of these past few weeks. . ..
Happy Monday,
Melia
Take Me Back Thursday: Princess Curtsy
I think of all the blog posts I do, I love Thursdays best! 
It’s a chance for me to look back, to reflect. And I love reflecting about my family most of all, especially my adorable nieces and nephews.
See, I figure that since they’re the next generation, it’s up to me to pass on what I know. Right? And what more vital piece of knowledge to pass on than the proper way to perform a curtsy. Cuz, hey, you never know when it’ll come in handy! 🙂
The foot sliding part was a little tricky, but Youngest Niece finally got it. And now she can’t say I didn’t teach her anything!
What memorable piece of knowledge have you passed on to the kids in your life?
~Melia
Wordless Wednesday: Follow the Purr
Where do you search for a kitty when he doesn’t answer? Take a peek!
Happy Wednesday,
Melia
The Jar of Shame
Ya know, this parenting stuff’s not easy, and I bow down in complete respect to those of you who bear the title of mom or dad.
And then there are those of us who volunteered for the position after not having had any kids. Not that we regret it, of course! But when you go from zero to an 18-year-old in the space of six weeks, there’s a pretty fair bet that the learning curve is steep. 
Toss in a 14-year-old three years later, and it’s a miracle hubby and I aren’t locked away somewhere.
We had a few house rules when Niece and Niece 2 moved in. Pretty basic rules, really. Among them: the Alexander home is not a hotel. Maid service doesn’t exist. Ergo, they needed to pick up after themselves.
Yeah, keep laughing. That rule was followed. Not.
After countless times of telling them things like pick up socks, put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and keep books off the kitchen counter – and then finally doing it for them – I’d had enough. And thus The Jar of Shame was born.
The rules were pretty simple: keep your stuff out of the common areas, put things away when you’re done with them, and don’t eat or drink in your room. Break the rules and get caught? You fork over a buck.
So far, I’ve got $6 in the jar and it’s been less than a week. Not enough for a spa day. . .. Yet. 😉
Happy parenting,
-Melia
