I've got some 'splainin' to do

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am moving to Washington, DC, in a week for an internship. Let me give you a little rundown of the events leading up to this decision:

May 2010 Baptist Joint Committee visits Samford and speaks to my Media of Religion class. I'm fascinated. They mention an internship in DC. I like DC. I apply for said internship. "Why not?" I think.

May- mid August 2010 Summer goes by. Think nothing of internship. Babysit a lot. Begin working for my dad.

Mid-August 2010 Mother reminds me of DC internship and if I've heard from them. I tell her "no," but I might as well shoot them an e-mail. Total shot in the dark. Expect nothing from it.

September 7, 2010, 10:30 am. Get a call from Executive Director of BJC. I think he's about to interview me. But instead he offers me the fall internship, effective immediately.

September 7, 2010, 10:34 am. "I'm sorry, WHAT?!!!"

September 7, 2010, 12:15ish pm. Accept internship offer.

September 8, 2010, I don't remember the time. Housing details worked out. Living on Constitution Avenue. Housing paid for. Monthly stipend. God is good.

I love the organization I'm going to be interning for. You should check them out. The BJC is an advocacy group for all religious organizations, and it works to protect and defend the First Amendment and the separation of church and state. Awesome. Please ask me about it... I think I'm already growing passionate about the cause.

My head is still reeling over all that has transpired in the last few weeks. I really don't know what I signed up for. This is way out of Brittany's comfort zone. Brittany doesn't do this kind of thing. Brittany likes to talk in the third person.

I've been in a lot of denial lately, and I haven't thought much about actually leaving. I've got a lot to distract me during the next week, so I plan to deal with reality as soon as I arrive in DC. I wish I could tell you all that the Lord has done through this, but I'm afraid I would develop arthritis from typing too much. But I will tell you this: He is faithful. I am not. And He knows what I desire much more than I do.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm afraid I need to go brush up on my 10th grade Government notes. And perhaps watch some School House Rock (the one about the bill sitting on Capitol Hill). And pack.

God Bless America!

lakin' in September

Even though Labor Day was about two weeks ago, I still feel the need to document the weekend.

It was a wonderful, labor-free couple of days that were spent goofing off,

talent show

dancing

doing cool stuff on the water,

waterskiing

doing a jig

getting fat,

eating at Shirley's

embarrassing

and just havin' a good time.

No, I'm not a Samford cheerleader. The shirt was 75% off.

kewl kids

Goodbye, Summer 2010. Goodbye, white pants. And goodbye, Emily (who left us for Missouri) and Kallie (who left us for South Carolina). I miss you all.

excuses

I've compiled a list of excuses for why I haven't been writing much lately:

1) I haven't felt like it.

2) I've been hanging out with these people:

Nothing like a good Labor Day reunion at the lake.

Especially when it involves Stephen Curtis Chapman,

lots of good food and side-splitting laughter.

3) I've been helping my dad with a new business.

4) I've been making these:

I'm guilty of making multiple batches a week. Sue me. No, don't.

5) I just found out two days ago that I'm moving to Washington, D.C., for three months.

6) I'm leaving in two weeks.

Honestly, I think each one of these excuses could use an entire post on their own. Would you throw rocks at me if I decided to back-track and write about some of these things over the next few days? I can't hear your answer, so I'm just going to assume you're okay with it.

Love you all (yes, you).

Be back soon!

I am six months old

I know what you're wondering. "What on earth has Brittany been up to lately? Surely she hasn't just been baking this whole time."

To that I say, "So what if I was baking this whole time?"

But that's not all I've been doing. I've actually been working on a big project that I'll tell you about soon. The rest of my time has been spent babysitting. Yep, babysitting.

Yes, I did get a haircut. Thanks for noticing! I also got glasses. And I've aged a bit.

Since graduating college, I've had the opportunity to keep/nanny children from several families. It's actually been a blast. Besides making some great tax-free money, I've also learned some valuable life lessons from keeping children.

I've compiled a list of lessons I've learned, as well as some good advice if you're considering following in my footsteps and pursuing a career in professional babysitting.

1) Little boys love to expose themselves. The more you tell them to stop, the more they find it hilarious. Also, they can get creative with the word "poop." Did you know the word can be used as an adverb? Neither did I!

2) Never give children red snow cones on a hot day after waking them up from their nap in the car. Literal meltdown will ensue.

3) Learn which families have good babysitter food, and plan accordingly. It's always a good idea to bring along some pop-tarts just in case. Better safe than sorry...

4) Bible songs are awesome.

5) Children never forget. Anything. Remember when you were all at the park and you told the kids that if they were good, you would take them to Magic Muffins? Well, the children remember. And they will remind you every 25 seconds until you hand them their frosting-laced cookies.

6) Children's television isn't what it used to be. The creators of Baby Einstein and Yo Gabba Gabba are laughing all the way to the bank.

7) If you can't (effectively) apply sunscreen in less than 15 seconds, you're doomed. Game over.

8) Repeat after me: "Do you need to go potty?" Now say it again. And again. And again...

Not only have I learned practical lessons, but I've also discovered a lot about myself. I've come to the conclusion that I am a six-month-old child.

Let me explain.

One night I was trying desperately to get a sweet baby girl to sleep. She was squirming around, flailing her arms, and bending backwards while screaming at decibels I didn't know existed. She was pretty ticked. Of course I went through the checklist in my head to try and uncover the source of her distress. Dirty diaper? Nope. Hungry? Surely not... she just finished a bottle. There was really no reason for her to be so upset. She was safe in my arms, and there was no reason to worry. But I knew she was tired. If she would have just given up the fight and laid down on my shoulder, everything would be ok (and much easier for the both of us).

And that's when it hit me. I am a six-month-old. I squirm about, worrying about this and that, uncomfortable with where I am and anxious about the future. But while I'm wasting energy, the Lord is saying, "Kid. Chill out. Do you really think I'm going to ever leave you or forsake you? How about you just rest and I'll handle it. You may not hear me, but I can hear your cries. The baby monitor's on, and I'm getting a clear signal."

Hopefully I'll get back to consistently blogging soon (and by that I mean twice a month). But I'm not making any promises. And if Baby Einstein is on, you can forget seeing any new posts from me. That stuff is mesmerizing.

sugar coma

Another food post. I'm sorry.

What fatty food is it this time? Butter Brownies? Crisco Cobbler? Gooey Grease Bars? No, although all of those do sound delicious. Maybe next time.

Shortly after swearing to not make another dessert for at least twelve hours, I found this recipe. I held off for another long 30 minutes, then I succummed to the temptation and hopped over to Publix.

My friends, I give you... Praline Chocolate Cake. Also known as heart attack on a plate.

I'm too lazy to copy and paste the recipe, so I'll just give you the link here.

I know it looks a little rough. I didn't mean to eat that much.

Finished product. Homemade chocolate cake, chocolate ganache frosting and a praline topping.

And five cavities.

If you were to ask me to describe this cake, I would have to say the following: "This cake tastes like an angel got a big bowl and mixed rainbows, sunsets and cocoa together, baked it with sunshine, and then iced it with love and baby laughter."

It's just really good, ok?

sharks and tats

What? You thought I was joking about the tour of "shark-mouth" souvenir stores?

Well, I wasn't.

But as it turns out, there were really only two stores.

It seemed like there were a lot more on the drive down.

I'm heartbroken to inform you that I did not get a shark-in-a-jar. Even though I pitched a fit in the middle of the store, my parents did not give in. I told them I was 22 years old, and plenty responsible enough to take care of a shark-in-a-jar. Then they reminded me that I am, in fact, 22 years old. That was the end of the argument.

Since I was so upset about not getting the shark, and because I wanted to demonstrate my independence, I decided to get a real tattoo instead of a henna tattoo:

So true, so true.

Although we had a great family getaway, it's good to be home. Because that's where the pie is (and the praline chocolate cake... but you'll have to wait for another post to hear about that).

put THAT on your blog

Greetings! I'm blogging to you live from the Florida coastline. I love technology.

My family made it down to the beach in record time yesterday, and the car ride was pretty typical for the Todd clan. It went a little something like this:

- Load up the car.

- Kiss the dog 50 times to make sure he knows that we love him and are going to return. Promise to bring him back a snow globe.

- Pull out of the driveway.

- Turn around because someone has forgotten something.

- Break out the playlists.

- Discover the real lyrics to songs. For example, did you know that the words to "Sweet City Woman" do not really say, "sweet Sicily woman" OR, "sweet silly woman"? Neither did we!!

- Stop at McDonald's so I can stock up on apple pies for the rest of the trip.

- Catch approximately 23 diseases from said McDonald's restroom.

- Hit the road again and make fun of everything/everyone we see. No one is safe.

- Come to the conclusion that Genesis was an awesome band.

- Cover our ears while dad has a "friendly chat" with the GPS.

- Arrive at the beach and head straight for the henna tattoos.

We've had a great time at the beach so far. I've been doing a lot of eating, sleeping, laying in the sun until I wimp out because I'm too hot, people watching and eating. Oh, and I've been eating a lot, too. Don't look at me like that... it's vacation! Tonight, if we're lucky, I think my dad is going to take us on a tour of every souvenir shop that has a shark's mouth for its doors. And he said if we're really good, we can get one of those preserved sharks in a jar! YESSS!! FINALLY!

I'm so glad this is labeled "SHARK." Now I know not to open that jar!

My poor family has learned there is always a chance that anything they do or say will end up on this blog (or be used against them in the court of law). It's become pretty evident on this trip. They preface everything with, "Uhhh... you aren't going to write about this, are you?" to which I reply, "Only if it's embarrassing, and unless you pay me $10." My father, a creative and comedic genius, has come up with a new catchphrase. Now every time he says something funny, he follows it with a sarcastic, "Hey Brittany, put THAT on your blog!"

Well dad, I just did.

Gotta go, kids. I'm off to get a hair wrap!