Do not did.

I'm 27 years along. I turn 28 this January, I have done so many fun and adventurous things in my life. I think the difference between myself, many of my friends and others is the past tense verses the present tense verb. I plan on doing, I don't solely focus on the "did" actions. This is not an age differentiation but a mind set, I want to go places and do things. I do not want to dwell solely on what I did.
I very much enjoy talking about adventures, travels and times I've HAD but there is a particular tone to "then", a tone that says "not anymore".
I am still having and looking forward to the best years of my life and I want to
continue having and looking forward to the best years of my life.

You're not who I want

I'm never the one they want.  Such is the life of a nanny. I'm never the one whose presence calms a cry or dries a tear.  My hugs are the ones that cause more tears and squirms to get free, to get to mom or dad.  

Don't get me wrong though, I look forward to my days with the boys, the triumphant yells when they figure something out on their own or with my guidance...

These are "The Little Men Three" the boys I nanny full-time.  We have been at their beach house in Long Beach Island, New Jersey for the most of August.  The parents both work from the beach house for the month and I spend the days with the boys.  The older ones 7 years and 5 years old went to the yacht club morning camp for the first few weeks.  The littlest one and I spent the mornings together walking around the neighborhood, biking the streets, going to the park and throwing rocks into the water.  We even took on a monsoon at the beach, yes the one day I decided to go to the beach alone with him we were caught in a monsoon... the older two enjoyed the story of how their baby brother  flew around like a kite in the wind was almost blown away by the storm (I tell a good tall tale).    

Bee and I "say cheeeese", "ceeeeese"

Brendan and I spend the most time together which, I guess leads to the trauma of being put down for a nap by me and not mom.

a bandaid for the boo boo

 I have been complimented by their parents and others for my patience and ability to distract him when he is distraught or nearing a break down.
My favorite moment was at the beach when his dad asked "Bee, do you want to jump waves with me?"
not three seconds later a wave took out Bee, complete wipe out! I picked him up without a word and pointed to the loud motor boat passing out in front of us.
"Look at the BOOAT!" I exclaimed and crouched down next to him pointing out the boat from his line of sight.
"Boah, Boah, boah" he murmured.  I laughed and looked at his dad who was shaking his head and laughing at the irony of the moment.

Bee tromping around the yacht club

Luu and LaLa "stick 'em up" showing off their new Texas Ranger hats

 What really drew me into this family was the parent involvement.  They are and want to remain part of their boys lives even though they work full-time. One of the main qualities they were looking for in a nanny were disciple and manners.  "We want respectful and well mannered boys, they are already for the most part but we don't want that lost."
I guess for me, some of the best moments have been hearing Luu tell how "AMAZING" his day (with me) has been.  Going to the Natural History Museum to see the Dinosaurs, the National Navy Museum to see the Submarines, Luu would be walking around and look back at me and declare, "this is awesome Miss Wendy".
LaLa, the oldest, was given the opportunity to participate with the older kids from the Yacht Club camp.  Every year the kids swim from High Island to the yacht club, its approximately a 500 yard swim in the bay.  LaLa was visibly nervous about accepting the offer when I mentioned I would swim with him if he'd like.  He warmed up to the idea and even after the whole group was dropped off at High Island and about to swim he was nervous.  With his lifejacket and a paddle board he swam the entire length with only a boat ride to make up for the currents pull.
He was continuously offered a pull from one of the many parents on kayaks but turned them down time after time.  We swam next to one another and talked the whole time.  He did an amazing job and was quite proud of himself as well.

selling lemonade around the bay

 I do appreciate the moments when their mom passes the sleepy fussy baby off to me and says "its been thirty minutes of this [crying] and I have to get work done before the hour".  I walk in and have him soundly snoozing in under five minutes.  What gets me is the sleeping baby moments, the quiet relaxed moments when the baby or one of the boys is sleeping in my arms and its only after a struggle and cries for mom.
I know I'm not the one you want and I never will be but when I have my own little one I will be exactly what he wants.  My kisses will heal all boo-boos, my hug will calm and sleepy wimper and I will be the one, the puck will stop here.

Sandy, Sunny and Salty Summer

This summer has been many things, sandy sunny and salty can describe most of it. I began the summer with a drive down to see Gordon and Jackie in May. Mom and the brother are still experiencing tension here and there but it was a wonderful time with the babies nonetheless.
Mom ran off to Africa soon there after and in true Byrd fashion Gordon shot over to China.
At this point We were pretty much set to take over the world, mom and sister in Africa, Gordon and Jackie in Eurasia. All the while Dad and I were here on the east coast (I strategically covered the Northeast coastline), Meredyth and Ian had the mid/south/west in their grasp.
Of course, Dad and Sally could have bounced down to South America if need be.

As May was upon us I enjoyed a long weekend across the water from Yorktown, VA on a nanny "vacation". I watched the 6-month old as the parents went kayaking and touring through Yorktown and The Jamestown Settlement.

Very excited to begin his first vacation ever.

From there I hopped down to experience my first Airborne jump, meaning I was the lucky duck who treated my 1SG and a new CPT after a less than perfect landing. Nearly 8 hours in the hospital and an ankle "relocation" contributed to 28+ hours awake, working and not eating nearly enough (it's the eating part that gets me).
Then over to Richmond where I stomped around town with dad and Sally...
A Virginia Beach trip (twice to be exact) one of which was full of chilly evenings and windy days, not to outshine the amazing Art Show.
Whew... Then what?
Oh, Maine!

Brother Dunstan and I

OH! Maine!!

Fresh Lobster!

First I met my namesake Brother Dunstan, in Long Island.  From Long Island it was Massachusetts, Rockport to be exact.  The views, the people, oh and not enough can be said about the Lobstah.  From Rockport I hopped up to Bar Harbor, did a handstand on the rocks then headed to Lubec, Maine.

Light house, Just before sunrise

West Quoddy Head Light

Lubec is the most Easternmost town in the United States.  Julia is in Africa so I decided to watch the sunrise from the Easternmost point in the US, the West Quoddy Head Light.  Sunrise was at 3:44 am, which was 9:44 am in Gaborone, Botswana so regardless of the cloudy skies in Botswana that morning, Julia sent the sun to me.

3:44:45 am June 22, 2012, Lubec, Maine

After Lubec and touring around the surrounding area I headed to Boston, MA in order to go to Fenway.  The game didn't happen but great beer, lots of laughs and a soaking wet hour spent waiting in line was well worth the trip.  Rockport also warranted a second visit.  My trip was amazing and everyone loves the pictures and stories, then asks, "why did you decide to go to Maine?".   

Truthfully I just wanted to go and I when I had the opportunity I took it.  Good times were had by all I encountered and I will be taking another trip Down East in my future for sure.  

The summer is not over though and more beach trips 

A weekend of art, wine and wind to boot

MOCA in Virginia Beach hosted the Boardwalk Art Show this past weekend. As a dabbling photographer and artist I must say, I would not have traveled three hours to an art show on my own accord. Luckily for me, I have a wonderful and socially inclined friend Inese. Inese decided a vacation was in store and off we went before the sun rose on Friday morning to the beach. We sat on the beach in the late morning bundled in blankets as the wind whipped through our hair and the waves crushed the sand. It was a day at the beach only in the realistic sense.
We didn't even last the day battling the cold winds, we ended up in the cheap tourist hub Sunsations. We had to buy low priced and even lower quality hoodies. We weren't letting the wind run us out of town though.
We were not alone, over the weekend I smirked at every cheap "Virginia Beach" hoodie purchased by a surprisingly cold tourist.
The ART SHOW! We came for one main reason, ok many, but the big even was the art. I logged 10+ hours perusing the booths; admiring, gawking and flipping wide-eyed through photographs and paintings. I met the artists and heard of their unique approach and method for metal working, editing, collaging, painting and the like.
Photographer Matthew Carasella said I was his "little blue tent's" biggest fan of the show. I'm putting that on my resume!! I bought two of his prints. You can see more of his work at http://www.socialshutterbug.com/
Overall, I was completely inspired to get back to art at some level at least.
Here I go on my vacation to Maine and I have my camera (of course) in tow with an accomplice; my tripod! Lighthouses and coast line be prepared. Thank you Inese for the art inspiration, you are my muse.

Yoga fearless friends and the fair weather friend

Why I cannot bite the bullet and commit to more yoga in my life is beyond me. I still feel a bit silly,when outside of a yoga studio, doing sun salutations.
This morning I will be partaking in Oceanfront Yoga, silly or not I will enjoy the strong wind in my face, sun in my eyes and great yoga in the sand. I will not allow myself to be a fair weather friend anymore.
As I move through the poses I will think of my friends who fearlessly take on yoga, whether here or there, high or low. The people who absorb the moment the environment the poses and not the impressions of others.

As you read this, fearless yogi friends of mine, know that you are next to me as I am on the beach in warrior pose. Strong, fearless, taking on the sun sand and wind, I am thinking of you.

Julia, Here's the Deal...

So here is the deal, my sisters and I are very close.  That's us with our dad two thanksgivings ago, 2009, before my deployment.

Top Row L-R:Julia, Robby (step dad), Alice (mom)
Bottom Row L-R: Ashleigh, Wendy (me), Ariel, Meredyth

We are close in age, and have grown even closer as the time passes and the miles between us increase.
Here we are at my mom Alice Perry's wedding 26 (27, 28?) December of 2009, days before my deployment to Afghanistan.

Meredyth, Wendy, Julia

On Christmas Day 2009, covered in the bows from our presents, in Due West, SC.

Wendy, Ashleigh, Julia, Meredyth (front and center)

Here we are again for Meredyth's bridal shower in Virginia, June 2011.

So if four pictures don't do it for you just take my word for it, we are close. Byrd sisters mean a lot, they have veto rights on the men in each other's lives, they will listen intently to each other's whining and gloating, crying and blabbing, boredom and frustrations.  One day they may need to listen to your sobs the next lay out the news you don't want to hear.  My sisters mean the world to me.
Julia and I trained for last year's Army 10-miler together, I ran it with my best friend Ethan just a month after she left for Botswana.  This year I will run it again, a lone Byrd girl in a sea of meaningless people (meaningless because you are not a Byrd sister when that's all I want).

Lately I have been a bit jealous... you see Meredyth and Julia have this ongoing affair... and I want a Byrd sister love affair of my own.  Julia has been gone less than a year and I don't like it.  Yes I was gone longer and it was difficult, yes, she is having a life changing time and its good for her, shut up.

Meredyth is enjoying married life in Austin, TX.  Julia is semi-miserable in Botswana, Africa and I am still a student in Northern Virginia.  Don't get me wrong I am always enjoying life, beachside enjoying life at the moment, but everyone is away.
Back to this affair...
Meredyth and Julia have this on going blogpal and I want my piece of the Byrd pie.
So here's the deal.
Julia, will you take me, Wendy, to be your second oldest sister and second blogpal?
We need to do our 10-miler training again, and each week blog back to tell the other about our weekly runs.  Its not hard, half the time I will be telling you how I missed two days of the schedule and you'll tell me an antelope joined you on your run.

So will you.  Here is the training program in PDF form, I will also email it to you.

Training begins on Monday.

Smitten, the intro...

 

MG Linnington, Alice Bell (my mom), ME, MAJ Tim Garland (MG Linnington's Aide) at the reception prior to Spirit of America in Charleston, SC in September 2011

after my promotion, thanking the crowd, my mom and MG Linnington

He says we met the day before my promotion before the cigar lounge, I don't remember, so I will start from the cigar lounge. 

 I don't remember connecting with anyone as easily and having as much of an indepth conversation with anyone so soon upon meeting.  We sat and talked about life, what we've been through and pretty much shared our life stories on a leather couch in Charleston, SC over cigars.  Initially, I was intrigued and interested in him as well as surprised by his openness, not a typical characteristic of any Infantryman.