Office Bathroom Etiquette

I'm throwing the question out here for all you office workers and those who are married to office workers. I have never considered myself the "typical guy", so often if what I consider a social norm may be way off. One dilemma I keep finding myself coming back to is the awkwardness of knowing the people you might be sitting next to in the stall. First off, I find nothing too awkward about the urinal, every guy knows that if there is no divider you skip one urinal and a casual head nod or light conversation is appropriate, but what about the stall?

I will first confess that after I eat Chipotle or any Mexican food...or any food as I'm getting older, I need to find a restroom fairly quickly and I would rather not know anyone when I get there...nor would you want to be there. In my office I usually use the handicap stall, it's the largest, farthest away and you can't see my feet. When I go into the bathroom and the scent of a rotten garden patch assaults my nostrils and I can see the guy's shoes in the stall, hear the struggle he may be going through and recognize who it is, I can't look at them the same. I now know you as rotten-garbage-patch-pooer. When it's someone your senior it makes it even worse, especially if they walk out and you're washing your hands; you have to act overly casual...and not breathe in at the same time. I will sometimes use the bathroom on a different floor where people either don't know me well or if they did get a glimpse of my feet, wouldn't typically recognize them.

Here are my questions:

1.) am I the only person that thinks like this and/or cares?

2.) Do you try to avoid P2 (Public Pooing)?

3.)If someone is already in a stall will you sit in a stall next to them? This really bothers me, I want to relax in there, not be rushed, nor hear your bowels.

I will confess I use my Blackberry while in the stall, pick up a paper and read it if it's on the floor. I really enjoy my bathroom time and prefer to do it alone. Please respond and ask your husbands if this is not your area of expertise because I know the female bathroom rules are different, plus I only imagine couches, Make-up counters and hair stuff in there. I block out any other images...

Need a Housekeeper?

Provide "bubbles" aka Windex or wood cleaner and she is your girl. She'll go at it for hours and keep asking for more surfaces to clean. It's not child labor if they volunteer, right?

Citrus Splash Park

I took Camryn up to the Splash Park today...I have been wanting her to try one of these parks out to see if she would like it as much as I would if I were her age.

She had fun...

but she had just as much fun stuffing her face.

After running around with her for a while she finally got a little more confident.

Next time we come we'll have to bring some friends or cousins to play with so she can run around with a buddy.

Anniversary Weekend

Since our anniversary was on a Thursday we celebrated on Friday at the Chart House in Solana Beach. A perfect setting overlooking the water for celebrating 5 years! On our honeymoon we ate at a similar restaurant but even though it tasted great it had a bad exit. So we decided to try again with our fish and lava cake and hoped for a better outcome. Though it was much better for me, Ryan ended the night dry heaving. Must not be for us.

5 years later and still just love this guy to bits.

Saturday we hit up Sea World with The Johnson's who just bought passes.

At the Shamu Show-Katie, Tim, Baby Zac, Ryan and Camryn. It is so fun going with friends and even better that we will get to go back with them on a day when it is not so crowded. I am so ready for summer to go away because we haven't benefited from the weather and there are just way too many people everywhere. But needless to say it was a fun weekend!

Can a baby chick be vulgar...it's all in the annunciation

So it was Dad's turn to put the baby to bed...usually I am an expert at this. I read a few stories, play a few games, sing some songs and off to bed. I let Camryn pick out her favorite books, all of which have to do with animals at this point. We have a Touch and Feel Animal Farm book that has gotten some good miles on it. We've been very proud of how well she has learned all her animal noises and all the words she is learning daily...however I was a little disturbed when I first showed her a picture of the chick. I said, "What does a baby chick say?" to which she replied, "Peep peep"...and then proceeded to wipe herself with it. For a split second I wondered what kind of parenting Erica has been doing in the home, until I realized that "Pee-pee" sounds an awful lot like "Peep Peep". I'm just hoping this rubs off before preschool-or our next trip to the petting zoo. I'm sure there are more words in the English language that we'll soon find out can be mixed up for other awkward words, most likely to be said in public around a lot of people. She's just started saying, "Oh shoot", luckily her double "o's" are impeccable.

Any words your kids have learned that we can be aware of and practice in private?

***No actual animals were harmed during bedtime stories or the writing of this post.

Weekend with the Whole Motley Crew

We were lucky enough to have my parents organize a family get-together in Dana Point this year. We decided to try out camping this time; it was crowded-that is what happens when families keep growing but overall we had amazing time. So fun getting the whole family together. Doesn't happen very often. This was a the first in 2 years! Way too long if you ask us.

With Aunt Nikki

Cousins Sean, Ryan, Dylan and Jake

Camryn playing with cousins Kyle and Owen in the pit

Pooped out on the beach

Minute it to Win it games. So funny.

Cute father daughter pic

And last but not least, the whole Motley Crew. All 23 of us and 1 in Carrie's belly. Let's just hope we don't have to wait another 2 years for this to happen again! Love you all so much! And thanks for showing us a great time!

2 More Months Until 2

and I couldn't love this face anymore than I do...