Caution: Cute Overload Ahead

We really try to make sure to visit the best cities have to offer whether visiting or living there. We're still guilty of ignoring a lot of what makes Pittsburgh great, but we are working on it. It was in that vein of enjoying the city that we ventured to Kennywood yesterday. We've been there before, but yesterday was the first time we did it with the contorted sensibilities only the parents of a one-year old possess. Just to keep it exciting, we met some other contorted people there--Peyton's parents, Jill and Shawn/Itch/Steelers (Alexis renamed him--I believe his parents intended for his name to be Rich).

First of all, Daddy knew we were meeting Alexis' boyfriend there. And yet, he dressed her in a "Hug Me" t-shirt. That's pretty much asking for this to happen:

Oh, but there's more:

Clearly, they can't stand one another.

As for the rides, I would have thought that Alexis would be all about them. After all, she spends most of her time getting hauled around like this:

Instead, she thought most of the rides were something akin to Chinese water torture. While she makes me play Ring-Around-the-Rosie with her every ten minutes all day long, she wasn't a fan of the spinning.

That photo is deceiving. There were a lot more tears and screams that you can see. But that was NOTHING compared to new public enemy #1, the Crazy Trolley. It's a trolley car that goes around like a Ferris wheel. We had the front row and Alexis was seated in between Daddy and myself. At first, she was all giggly that she was allowed to sit on the bench by herself. But then the thing started to move. I literally felt the moment when terror went racing through her body. And she screamed. And she cried. And she screamed. And she cried. And I think she will have a Ferris wheel phobia for her entire life. Sorry, kiddo. We didn't know.

Brrrrr

I would be writing a fun little post about our day at Kennywood today, but Daddy and I lacked the forsight to realize that today's weather would have a profound impact on the comfort level of the house. It only got up to 60 degrees outside today so leaving the windows open all day may not have been the best choice. My teeth are chattering, my fingers are numb, and I'm pretty sure there are icicles hanging from the thermostat. I would use that as the excuse for why I'm not turning the heat on, but really I'm more cheap than I am cold. We'll all just keep shivering.

Stay tuned for an amusement park post that contains tears, smiles, and even a little lovin'.

Random

1. Recently I have taken to wandering the streets of a certain part of the Burgh that is chock full of college students. I find them fascinating, what with their young and oblivious ways. Take, for example, the lovely blokes who are currently camped out protesting the Iraq war. At first I thought it was all very cute. I personally never went through a phase where I thought going on a hunger strike would change the world, but I think it's just adorable that these four kids do. I imagine that they have pictured the results of their hunger strike as follows:

W is sitting in his big, white house talking to one of his drones and asks to see the live camera action from all over the US. (What? You don't think he watches us on super-top secret video cameras? Whatever, let's pretend that he does.) He pans down on Oakland, PA and spies four bewildered college students and reads (Yeah, yeah, yeah, pretend he reads, too. It's needed for the story I'm trying to tell.) on one of their signs that they are on day 11 of their hunger strike. He looks to his advisers then proclaims, "By golly, those kids are right! End the war now!"

Somehow I don't think that's how the story will end, but good for them for trying to make a difference. I do have one request for them while we're at it: just because you're not eating doesn't mean you shouldn't bathe. I'll think you're even more adorable if I can't smell you from down the block. Thanks!

2. I have a bye week in Fantasy Football this week. Try to hide your disappointment.

3. Alexis has FINALLY added the word "down" to her vocabulary. I taught her to say "up" in about 1.2 seconds a few months ago. The problem was that she decided that "up" is used for any change in position. So she was saying "up" to get up, and "up" to get down. That was all fine and dandy for a few days, but then it started to irk me that she can say "Everybody Awake!" (thanks a lot, Rachel), but not down. So I started trying to teach it to her. I'll be damned if she couldn't figure it out. Finally, within the past few days, she has started to say "down." Anytime "up" doesn't get her the immediate response she was looking for, that is. Up Down. Up Down. Up Down. In rapid succession. That's 90% of what comes out of her mouth these days. I do good work, don't I?

4. If you think I'm done being salty about this Starbucks thing, you are WRONG. Fall is ruined, RUINED I tell you, because of that 11 cent price hike. (What's that Starbucks? You didn't think I remembered how much a Grande Nonfat with Whip Pumpkin Spice Latte cost last year? Oh, but I do remember. $3.96) I know 11 cents probably doesn't sound like much, but that little price hike adds up fast. Really fast. You see, we donate all of our change to Alexis' piggy bank. She has accumulated quite the chunk of change that way. So last year she got 4 cents every time I bought my latte. This year, if I were to buy one (which I won't), she would be getting 93 cents. So really, that latte would cost me a whole extra dollar. Times five days in a week=$5. Times a whole lot of times that I would drink one=way more money that I'm willing to add to my coffee budget. Grr.

Did I mention that I'm just going to buy my Nonfat Caramel Macchiato every day to make the Pumpkin Spice Latte pain go away? It costs $3.75 to melt away the hurt. Perhaps I should go on a coffee fast and see if Starbucks will lower their prices. Or perhaps I should just shut up and show you a cute picture of Alexis sitting on a giant turtle statue at the Zoo. We'll go with that.