Is Ignorance Really Bliss?

My question is, how can anything with the term "lack of knowledge" in the definition be considered bliss? I would actually like to argue that ignorance can actually harm you...

When listening to an early twenty-something speak earlier this week, I realized that sometimes our ignorance can blind us to the point to the point that it harms us. Life really isn't as black and white as we are brought up to believe...it even shocks me that I would say this given that I have been accused a time or two of being too black and white. And, in much of life's circumstances, it is all about the black and white. But, then there are those other circumstances...

Curve balls as I will call them...the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday (a little Baz Luhrmann for you fans out there...if there are actually any fans out there!) Its these curve balls that shake you to your very core, make you rethink what you believe. Its these curve balls that make you realize that sometimes, just sometimes life has to be lived in the gray.

The reason for this? If life was only black and white we would have given up on all our relationships (family and friends) long ago. We wouldn't realize that sometimes people are just "that dumb" and that mistakes happen. We wouldn't know how to forgive. We wouldn't know how to look inside ourselves and learn to look past the gray areas in each others lives and still love each other for who they are.

When I think of this twenty-something's ignorance (it's funny that I label her this, given that I too fit into this category), I realize that ignorance is definitely not always bliss. Sometimes ignorance can lead to such disappointment in life that we can hardly get over it. Sometimes ignorance causes us to make decisions that really are stupid. Sometimes it is better to open ourselves up to the gray areas of life...to allow that brackish water to pour over our hearts, minds and souls. Yes, it will cause us to grow up. And yes, sometimes it will cause us to be harder because of it. But, it also will allow us to be more understanding of others, to more easily love and to more easily forgive. And sometimes, just sometimes, I think that makes the gray areas worth it.

6 Months

Weight: 15 lbs, 11 oz

Length: 26 inches

Accomplishments:
Can roll over in every which direction
Scoots around the floor...on his back!
"Found" his feet...they are like a built in toy!
Tries to grab hair, glasses, jewelry and more
Doesn't like strangers...
Cries within 60 seconds of someone besides Ian or I holding him
Has eaten "real" food and likes it
Has become extremely ticklish
Sleeps thru the night (for the past 3 days)

Everyday Connor seems to morph more and more into a boy and is growing farther and farther away from those baby days. He got to go on vacation with us over the past couple weeks. While traveling he got to go to the London Zoo, meet Mickey Mouse at Disneyland Paris, stroll around Milan, see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, check out the beach/ocean in Italy, see the Eiffel Tower and go on a ferry. He also touched grass for the first time (which he was very interested in) and touch a lamb for the first time (which I don't think he really cared about). He likes being outside, looking around at new things. He also seems to be more interested in the tags on his toys than the toys himself. He can spend so much time just investigating those little tags. Its fun to watch a serious expression go over his face when he is "investigating" something.

Teething seems to be just around the corner. Connor is drooling like no other and has become quite irritable. I keep checking his mouth, but no teeth yet. I am thinking it will happen soon though.

Connor & Daddy on the train at Disneyland Paris

Touching grass for the first time


Hanging out in the front of the car


Eating baby cereal for the first time

The Best Way to a Boy's Heart is through Food

Connor seems to be a food man thru and thru. Last week we gave him some rice cereal. He seemed to spit most of it out, but was definitely interested in the spoon. I have kept trying and get close to the same results each time. Yesterday, I decided we should give him some "real" food. I went to the store to pick some out...was even delighted to find options with no preservatives and no additives except a little water or some rice. Last night, we lined up Connor's options and let him "choose" which to try first. He went for the carrots & potatoes, so that is what he got.

Let me tell you, I have never seen anyone eat carrots with such gusto. And he made sure that practically none of it went to waste (furthering my belief that he isn't into the rice cereal!). I thought he would eat maybe a third of the jar, but he ate the whole thing. And, if we stopped feeding him, even for a few seconds, he went hysterical. The whole thing was pretty entertaining.







Oh, and I am holding the food by the camera to get him to look that way...definitely a food man!

Press Pause Please

If there is a pause button on life, now is the time I would like to use it. Life seems to be screaming by at such a fast rate. Normally it doesn't bother me (until of course, I hit my birthday), but having Connor around changes all that.

Connor is at such a fun age right now. He interacts with me, he easily laughs, isn't too fussy anymore and is virtually sleeping thru the night. All that and he is still my baby boy. It doesn't kill my arms to hold him (so, he is just the right size), I enjoy rocking him to sleep, he doesn't try to push himself away from me and he doesn't say no.

I know all this will change. I really do try to cherish every moment I have with him. And, when I think of the relationship that my brothers and I have with my parents, it gives me a hope that Connor will still want to talk to me when he is all grown up. But still, that is when life is more complicated, more difficult. I like the innocent boy that I have in front of me.

And, don't get me wrong, its not just Connor's life who I want to press pause on...its everyone. I want to be able to watch my nephew grow up, I want to be involved in my brothers lives, I want to be involved in my parents lives. Basically, I want to live my life and be super involved in everyone else's! All this, without taking anything for granted. Hey, it can happen...right?

And here's that picture I mentioned before...Connor meeting Mickey Mouse:

Subtle Differences

Europe...it's one of those places that aren't so different it freaks you out, but different enough that it annoys you a bit...even from Scotland. Once we got back into the UK, I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing I was home, knowing I was somewhere familiar, somewhere I knew I could predict more easily.

Simple things like grocery shopping became a chore. We discovered many villages didn't have their own grocery stores. Not even a corner shop (as we have so easily grown accustomed to in Scotland). One place you had to drive a half an hour from our campsite to get to a grocery store. And everywhere, the grocery stores closed painstakingly early. And in Pisa, despite the hours listed on the window, the store closed whenever it wanted, even if it was the middle of the day!

Camping in Europe has its subtle differences from the States. The campsites are much smaller than in the States. You could practically reach out and touch your neighbor. And, oddly enough, even at tent sites, there is electricity. We had no use for it, but I would be curious to know what tent campers use the electricity for. There are no tables or fire pits at the campsites either. The lack of campfire was the hardest thing for us to get over. Come on...a campfire is the essence, the heart, of camping. Instead, we sat around our citronella candle, drinking our tea each night.


Driving in Europe is a whole different ball game. In France and Italy, you have to pay a toll for every highway you go on. And the tolls aren't cheap. We are talking about some days spending upwards of 100 Euros just to drive on the roads! The problem is, there is no suitable alternative to the toll roads. While in Italy, we took the "scenic route" (aka: non-toll roads) for a little while. What should have taken 30 minutes to drive, took 2 hours to drive. These non-toll roads are one lane each way and take you directly thru the middle of each town. It was a mess. Yet at the same time, it allowed for some good entertainment until our patience was worn out!

Oh, and there is something about the toilets...camp grounds don't provide toilet paper (as if it is so expensive). And in France, there are squatty potties!?! And some of the normal toilets didn't have toilet seats. It was all just very strange. Oh, and what is the deal with the hose next to a toilet. I have seen it before in other countries. Are you really supposed to hose your butt off?!? That certainly doesn't sound appealing to me!



Its funny to me how at times things can be so much the same, yet so different. And every country, no matter how big or small, has its own way of doing things. It seems so unnatural to have an unnatural, fake line (a border) determine where those differences begin or end. But, I guess that is just life on the road...and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Home Sweet Scotland

We made it home. Drove 3331.5 miles. Averaged between 56-57 mpg the whole trip. Took zillions of photos and had a wonderful time.


One interesting thing though...we killed a bird. I don't quite remember it happening, but yesterday when running back to the car after checking out of our campground, I found this...



It is kind of disturbing, yet kind of funny at the same time. When going thru customs at the ferry, the border patrol guy was totally amused by it. And, his colleague said they didn't allow bird killers in their country. I did make Ian remove it. He didn't want to touch it, but I was done having people think of us as bird killers.

Poor bird. But, I am pretty sure it didn't feel a thing.

Oh yeah, and lucky for you, I am thinking there will be a few more roadtrip posts coming your way over the next few days.

Lessons from the Road...Italian Style

Driving around a country allows for a lot more perspective than just flying in and visiting. It allows you to visit more places, see more of the country and get a better feeling for the culture. Here are some of the things I noticed during our time in Italy:

• Italians be CRAZY drivers! Speed limit? They don't care! Lanes? Not a problem! Going 100 mph, they don't have a problem driving in between cars, in between lanes. In the city, it's as if lights, lines or really driving rules in general don't matter. It seems to be every man for himself.
  
• Italians have an extreme liking of Connor. Many stopped to talk to Connor...then us, before they realized we only spoke English. Some even touched Connor. This must be a cultural thing given than this didn't happen on my trip to the states or where I live.
• Italians make the best cappuccinos. Seriously! I didn't have one bad cappuccino the whole time I was in that country. In fact, every one of them seemed to taste delicious. And, they are cheap...at least where we got them...at the non-touristy places.
  
• Italy is covered in tunnels. You have to take a 7 mile tunnel just to get in the country. Then, we traveled thru at least 15 tunnels that were a mile in length while in the country. This made me realize, I HATE long tunnels! The paranoia sets in and it just isn't good.
  
• Ian and I ate the best pastries of our short little lives at a cafe in Pisa. It was perfect. They didn't speak any English whatsoever, probably thought we were crazy, but our taste buds were happy and our bellies filled with delight.
• Black licorice gum? Not quite sure (can't exactly read the package), but we picked up some gum at the grocery store and it tastes like black licorice, then after a few minutes turns to mint flavored. Weird, I know.
  

That's enough with my lessons thus far. Here are some pictures (now that I have come across some acceptable internet):

The 4th largest cathedral in the world, located in Milan

The roof inside the main cathedral in Milan

Connor cares more about his shoe than the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

On the Italian Riviera