A Holiday Treat

Do They Offer Frequent-Diner Discounts?

K and I drove past Starbuck's tonight, and she calls out, "Look Mommy! Your store!"

I guess that's not so bad... she calls Taco Bell "Daddy's store."

Playing Catch Up

Here are a few recent pics....


K ready for her Christmas program last week. She was so excited!



My dad and his wife brought us the biggest toy they could find for K. It's this ginormous walk-in kitchen. K absolutely loves it, but we have no place to put it! Right now, it's inside the front door. We've got to do some serious rearranging over Christmas break.


G has one of his Christmas concerts last weekend, so K and I went to go listen. She actually did reasonably well for the first four pieces, and then we went to go play on the playground outside.


We went to see Santa last night. K was so good! She wasn't scared at all, and when asked what she wanted, she replied, "Presents!" She should be easy to shop for!

Rachael Ray, I Am Not

Every time I attempt to bake something, I am reminded of how much I hate it.

I have to bring a snack to school this week, and attend a cookie exchange next weekend. I thought today I would give a new recipe a trial run, to see if it was suitable for either event.

I have dirtied every dish in the kitchen, have Oreo crumbs under my fingernails, have scorched the bottom of two pots, and the recipe only made about 35 cookies, and they don't look or taste that great? Why bother? It took me over an hour (not including the trip to the store) and I've got crap to show for it.

I am all about buying store-bought, and passing them off as my own. Why on earth do people enjoy baking? I am disappointed every time I try.

Random Funnies

I was watching "60 Minutes" and Andy Rooney came on. K took one look at those bushy eyebrows and said "Grandma!" To confirm what I thought she had said, she ran got her photo album and pointed to a picture of my grandmother. Actually, the resemblance was pretty strong!

Why did someone Google "Mommy panties swim blog" and get directed to my blog?

K has a Glo-worm that she has just re-discovered. Tonight we asked her the baby's name, and she said something like "Disa." We asked if she meant Lisa, her babysitter. She said "No! Disas!" Upon further listening, we realized she was saying Jesus!

The Messiah!

Tree!

Well, it's up. We put up our Christmas "tree" on Sunday. It came pre-lit, and I haven't hung ornaments yet, but it is up. K absolutely loves it. She says how pretty is all the time.



Yes, it was 5 pm and she still had her jammies on. Don't judge me!

Ick! Gross!

I know it's been discussed before by mothers everywhere, but it happened to me tonight.

K. Pooped. In the bathtub.

Gross!!

She was so upset by it. She was crying, so G got her out and cleaned her up while I disinfected the tub. She calmed down after she had her jammies on, but it really bugged her. Of course, she had sat on the potty just before the bath, and nothing happened.

My dog has had intestinal issues all weekend, so I've been cleaning up shit doo-doo all weekend. I hope I'm done for a good long while!

Dobble, Dobble

We had a great Thanksgiving. The week went far too fast, but it was nice having family in town. I had no stress when it came to cooking, since both my mother and my MIL are good cooks. I just pointed out where the bowls and spoons were, and let them have at it!

Of course K was the highlight of the week for everyone. When asked what a turkey says, she replies "Dobble, dobble!"

Oh, and she has knock-knock jokes. For example:

Knock knock
Who's there?
Mommy.
Mommy who?
Erin!

Of course this gets thunderous applause. She also does the same joke with daddy and his name.
We have lots of discussions about boys and girls. Here's a recent one.

Is Mommy a girl or a boy?
Girl.
That's right. Is Daddy a girl or a boy?
Boy.
Yep! Is Nana a girl or a boy?

Silence, and then the answer. "Nana."

Nana got a big kick out of that one.

A Few New Pics

If you click here, you can scroll down to the bottom of the page and see pictures of the Skee-ball team my sister and I played on last weekend. It was so fun! Everyone should play Skee-ball!

And here's one more....

New York, New York

My mom and I have been in New York for the past 4 days. We came up for my sister's graduation from Columbia. She now has an Executive Masters in Public Health. Woo-hoo... go Meg!



We've had the most wonderful time. The weather has been exceptionally gorgeous, and we've gotten to see a lot of family members we haven't seen in a long time, and ones we've never met before (Eleanor, 9 months).



We were fortunate enough to see the Olympic Trials marathon yesterday morning, but saddened by the collapse and death of one of the athletes. We were so inspired this morning by cheering on the runners in the New York City Marathon. They really make you think "I can do that!" Lance Armstrong ran right in front of us.

Last night we saw "Wicked." I am singing the songs today, and wishing I could see it again.

We have eaten the most wonderful food. Every restaurant has been great, even the one that serves nothing but macaroni and cheese.

I played on a Skeeball team -- and scored highest for my team! It was so much fun, and my mother even came to watch.

I hope to post pictures in a day or two, after I get back. It's been such a whirlwind of activity, but it's been a fabulous time.

To Cry or Not to Cry

K has started this thing where she wakes up around 10:15 every night and screams bloody murder. She is inconsolable. The only thing she wants is "Dad's Bed." (Of course, I sleep there too, but I am secondary.)

So, we give in. In our queen size bed, which used to seem so large, we now have three people. She sleeps great. We sleep with feet, butts, and elbows poking us all night.

I know the right answer. I know what Super Nanny or Dr. Phil would say. Yes, my knowledge of child-rearing is limited to network television.

They would say it doesn't hurt them to cry. Put them back to bed. Be consistent.

Why is that so hard? She's only two, so it's not like she's 12 and wants to sleep in our bed. But I know I'm laying the groundwork for a bigger battle later on when I let her sleep in our bed.

I actually turned off the monitor last night. She was fine this morning, and if she screamed during the night, I didn't hear her. I got a great night's sleep. But I feel like Bad Mother of the Year.

Where is the happy medium? And where is my great sleeps-through-the-night child?

Cover Girl

Man Quiz

I was "tagged" by my buddy, Dana, and the rules go that if you are mentioned here, you have to repost this on your site with your own answers...then tag others).

MAN QUIZ
1. Who is your man? Gary
2. How long have you been married? 7 years, this past June
3. How long dated? 5 years, so we've been together for 12 (wow!)
4. How old is your man? 38
5. Who eats more? Gary (except when I was nursing!)
6. Who said “I love you” first? probably Gary, but I don't remember the exact moment (isn't that terrible?)
7. Who is taller? Gary - he's 5'10" and I'm 5'8"
8. Who sings better? He may be the music teacher, but I can carry a tune better!
9. Who is smarter? Gary's a smart guy, but he never applied himself in school. I test better.
10. Whose temper is worse? Gary's
11. Who does the laundry? Me
12. Who takes out the garbage? Me
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? If you're facing the bed - Gary
14. Who pays the bills? Me, and Gary's credit has never been better! :-)
15. Who is better with the computer? Probably Gary.
16. Who mows the lawn? Gary
17. Who cooks dinner? Usually me, unless it's something grilled.
18. Who drives when you are together? Always Gary.
19. Who pays when you go out? Moot point since it's all from the same checking account. Gary is the one who actually uses his debit card, but I put half the money in there!
20. Who is most stubborn? We're both stubborn about different things.
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? I've never been wrong, so I don't know. :-)
22. Whose parents do you see the most? My mom. My dad and his parents live farther away.
23. Who kissed who first? How do you not kiss at the same time?
24. Who asked who out? Gary kept asking me out after work at the Olive Garden, but I kept putting him off, thinking he was too old. Finally we all went out as a big group, and I got to know him that way. We went out casually a few more times after that with friends before we went on an actual date.
25. Who proposed? Gary
26. Who is more sensitive? We both are in different ways.
27. Who has more friends? Hard to say. I get along with Gary's friends really well, so we usually see them. Most of my friends live farther away, and we keep in touch via email.
28. Who has more siblings? Gary - he has 2 and I have 1.
29. Who wears the pants in the family? We share them! :-)

I tag Joana, Adrienne, and Jennifer!

I just learned how to make clickable links! Yay me!

Do Run Run

I consider myself a runner, or at least a lapsed runner. I ran cross country and track throughout high school, and did reasonably well. I ran the occasional 5K in college, and a few after that. I run with my kids at school (4 minutes per class = 24 minutes per day) and enjoy it. I haven't run competitively in quite a while, but still consider myself a runner.

At least, I did until I read this.

I got the following email from my high school coach. She now coaches at the college level, and got this email from one of her former students. This young women ran a triple... Ironman... triathon! Any of those words makes me cringe, and I have no desire to do even a fraction of what she did. But it amazes me what the human body can do.

To be inspired, shocked, and amazed, keep reading.

I just had to drop a note about my race this weekend. Last year I did the double ironman and this year I stepped it up to the triple ironman (7.2 mile swim, 336 mile bike, 78.6 mile run with a 60 hour time limit). Anyway, the race went better than I could have ever imagined. It's like the longer the race, the better I do. Perhaps that 2 mile and 5k stuff was just too short for me and that's why I was so horrible, ha ha. There were 19 starters, 15 finishers, 3 of us female and the females totally kicking butt by placing 3rd, 4th, and 6th overall. My two competitors were the elite of the elite with one being the current female record course holder and the other female was an English channel swimmer and had done crazy things like the eco-challenge. Anyway, a quick overview of how I did:

Swim: 7.2 miles in 4:18 I was the last female out of the water, but they only gained 10 min. on me. I was expecting to lose close to an hour here.

Bike: 336 miles in 20:18 Broke the previous female course record by almost 3 hours (previous being 23:13). I had the fastest bike time overall, beating everyone, including the boys. I was second coming off the bike simply because Beat (He's Swiss) had about a 30 min. lead on me after the swim. Only one guy has a faster bike time than me on this course (19:42) so I have the second fastest bike ever on the course when including the boys.

Run: 78.6 miles in 20 hours. Broke the previous female course record by 15 min. (previous being 20:15). Hmm, maybe I am still kinda sorta a runner. The last 12 miles was the most painful experience of my life! I also had the third fastest run time when including the boys.

Overall: A triple IM in 44 hours and 55 minutes beating the previous female course record by almost 7 hours (previous 51:47). I am the youngest female to finish the triple here in the US and almost 99% sure youngest in the world (Race director wanted to double check). I am the National Female Champion for the Triple and 3rd overall when including the men.

Anyway, the body is recovering just amazingly! So amazing what the human body can go through. Such an awesome experience. I love the ultra family and it's great being able to compete with people from around the world (Germany, Switzerland, England, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, Mexico, and Hungary were represented). I'm not sure what's next, but I'm leaning towards ultracycling. Even though I now have the fastest female run time on this course, it was so painful where as the bike was just fun, but we'll see.

I don't want to do something that feels good for 45 hours! I can't imagine swimming, and then biking, and then running for that long! But I enjoyed reading about it, and wish her the best of luck. I just wonder what could you possible do next. After that, are there any challenges left?

Pumpkin Patch

Cello with Daddy

Dancing Fairy

Attack at the Library

Every Tuesday night, K and I go to the local library for storytime. It's really fun because in addition to reading books, we sing songs and play with a parachute. It's open to two-year-olds only, so it's just perfect for them.

They give everyone these little mats to sit on. K thinks it's fun to push hers around on the floor, or pick it up and play with it. During one of the stories tonight, she was just swinging hers through the air.

Then

It

Happened...

She let go, and it hit another little girl in the face! I was mortified! I felt so horrible for the other girl. I grabbed K and we dashed out of the room. Now we were in the main library.

I told K she could not do that, and she had to sit and be still during a story. She was looking around at all the colorful books (we were standing in the children's section) and saying, "Mom, books!" Um yes, we are in a library.

I sensed she didn't quite grasp the gravity of the situation.

By then, the other little girl and her mom had come out of the room too, because the girl was crying. I don't think the mom speaks much English, but I told her I was so sorry, and I made K go over and say "Sorry." The mom just smiled while she patted her daughter's back.

I didn't see any blood, so that's a good sign. I asked K if she was ready to go back in, and she said "Ready!"

She was slightly better after that, but not much. We did more action songs and the parachute, so she didn't have to sit still and listen.

My daughter, the bully.

Weekend at Home

K and I went to visit Nana this weekend. We had a fun time, and packed a lot into two days.

We rode Nana's horse:


and went to the fair:


and played on the swings:


and played at McDonald's.


We both caught colds, so now we feel cruddy, but it was a great weekend.

First Day of Pre-School

She had a great time! The backpack is bigger than she is, but I figure she'll grow into it. She can't wait to go back on Thursday!

4 Things about me you may not have known

FOUR JOBS I'VE HAD IN MY LIFE:
1. go-fer at a veterinary clinic
2. restaurant server
3. aerobics instructor
4. resident adviser in the dorm

FOUR PLACES I HAVE LIVED:
1) Abilene, TX
2) Oscoda, MI
3) Murray, NE
4) Elm Grove, LA

FOUR TV SHOWS I LIKE TO WATCH
1) Property Ladder (TLC)
2) Last Comic Standing
3) The Office
4) 30 Rock

FOUR PLACES I'VE BEEN ON VACATION:
1) London, England
2) Durango, CO
3) Cozumel, Mexico
4) New York, NY

FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:
1) pasta of any sort
2) brownies
3) cheesecake
4) fruit
5) (Can wine count as food? Then we've got the 5 basic food groups covered.)

I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
1) reading (I've got 6 library books on my nightstand right now!)
2) at a play (preferably a musical)
3) eating dinner w/my husband
4) picnicking somewhere gorgeous

FOUR FRIENDS I THINK WILL RESPOND:
ALL of you! :-)

FOUR PLACES I LIKE TO SHOP:
1) Harold's
2) Sam Moon
3) Gymboree
4) New York and Co.

Now, here's what you're supposed to do. Copy and paste this into the comments section, but change the answers to your own. Do it! I command you! Please?

I'm Baaa-aack!

We have been internet-free for three days, not by choice. Our desktop has been out of commission since mid-July, and the laptop just decided it didn't want to get online anymore. At least I've been able to check email from school, but I can't get on the majority of the sites I like to surf. I don't have time anyway, and I share a computer with my aide, so I can't just sit there and read blogs all day.

A good friend of G's took everything off our laptop, and reinstalled it. It is running 100% better now, so at least we can get online again. I was starting to get the DTs!

G also said I was probably going to blog about this (which I wasn't, but now I have permission, so here goes): He called me at school, but I didn't have my cell phone with me. He called the school who called down to my room and said please call him back as soon as possible. My first thought was he was hurt or K was sick. I called him right away, and he said he needed me to leave school and bring him my keys.

It turns out, he had locked his keys in his car... with the car running!

I told him I wasn't even going to ask any questions... I don't want to know. I'm just glad K wasn't in the car!

Oh, and my daughter just licked our dog. Not the other way around. Ewww...

It's Back to School Time, It's Back to Cool Time

^I had a record (!) when I was a kid with that song on it. Whenever I think of back to school, that song pops in my head. "New friends, new (something), fall has it all."

We have been in in-service all week. It's actually been relatively useful, which is rare. The week has gone really fast, but I don't have that much to get ready, so I'm all set.

K is going to pre-school this year! I can't believe it! If it were just me, I wouldn't worry about it yet, since she's a young 2. My babysitter takes her little boy though, and it doesn't make sense for her to drop her own kid off and come back and watch K. There is usually a waiting list, but they fit us in so she can take both kiddos. It's such a great deal, because I don't have to worry about transportation or before/after care. She'll even pack her lunch! I am going to get really spoiled this year.

Me-iccane

The remnants of Hurricane Erin (thank you, thank you very much) are hitting my hometown. My mom only has one way in or out of her neighborhood right now, and they are expecting more rain tonight. Some of the outlying towns have had 10 inches of rain over the past day or two. Some neighborhoods have already been evacuated.

Please be thinking about these folks, and hope the water stays where it belongs, and not in any homes.

I Hate Viruses! (Viri?)

Our computer has been seized with some kind of ad-ware virus. It slows the whole thing down, because there are constantly ads coming through. They are mostly for things I would never think about purchasing.

No, I do not want to meet 22-year-old Amber in Frisco.

No, I do not want to try Pro-Activ.

No, I am not looking for a transsexual.

Nor do I want to subscribe to a webcam (which seems to be stuck on the 24-hour boob channel).

Where are the good ads?

Click here for a free glass of lemonade!

Sniff here and smell your favorite flower!

Subscribe here to enjoy a motivational story every morning, hand-delivered to you in bed by a hot Puerto Rican pool boy wearing a... [deleted]

Gotta go.

Kute Kid Pics

I'm Cheating on You

I have crossed over to the dark side. I just signed up for a Facebook account. I'm not exactly sure what it is... is it MySpace without the predators? Is it more verbal validation from people we don't normally talk to? Is it a popularity contest? Is it yet another way to waste time? So far it looks like it's a little of all of the above.

It does seem to have lots of cool features on it. Of course, I haven't figured all of them out yet. So far, I'm just reading other people's profiles, and trying to think of clever things to put on mine. We'll see how long this fad lasts. I give it 2 weeks.

I love the internets!

In a Heartbeat III

Update: My dad has switched cardiologists. He just felt he needed a second opinion, and after everything he's been through, he still wasn't feeling better. The new doctor took him off several meds, since the side effects are often worse than what they are treating. He also said he didn't even need a pacemaker, and deactivated it!

My dad and stepmom are thinking about contacting a lawyer. Their previous doctor has evidently done this (put pacemakers in for no apparent reason) to lots of patients.

Anyway, Dad is feeling better now than he has in a long time, so that's good. He just feels like he lost the last several years of his life, since he felt lousy and was scared to leave town. He even quit teaching. It's just a shame.

I Only Have One Word....

Awesome.

Potty, Not(ty)

We attempted big girl panties for the first time tonight. Supposedly, kids don't like the feeling of pee trickling down their leg, so they hold it until they can get to the potty.

Not in our case. We went through 5 pairs of panties in an hour! Each time, I would sit her on the potty, and nothing would happen. We'd put on clean panties, she wet them 5 minutes later, and we'd repeat the process.

She has a diaper on now. I don't think my carpets can handle this!

Daddy comes home tonight! K is so excited! We've seen him once in the last thirteen days. I told him the night he was home must have felt like a one night stand! Oh well, now it's back to the same old, same old. Nothing wrong with that!

Video Experiment

Nothing New to Report

I have had the laziest week. G is out of town, so K and I have just been hanging out. We've taken walks, swam (swum? I never get that right.) at the pool, eaten lots of macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers (I love kid food!), gone to storytimes, met friends for lunch, and watched all of her videos. G will be home tonight, and then he leaves again tomorrow for a conference, so it's just us girls for the next few days.

I usually have this panic around this time every year, knowing school is about to start. With the start date pushed back three weeks this year, I feel like I have l-o-t-s of time, which is such a great feeling. I can still steam the carpets, organize my closet, work in K's room, and all that other stuff I haven't gotten to yet. I did organize the garage a little, so that's a plus.

Oh, and the Jackpierce concert is next weekend. Can I tell you how excited I am?! Yippee!!

In a Heartbeat II

OK, so after his first surgery on Friday, Dad just wasn't doing well over the weekend. They weren't getting good readings from the new pacemaker, so on Monday they went in, and put in a different one. He had two heart surgeries in 4 days! He responded much better after the second one, and was able to come home Tuesday. He's been very tired and is sore and bruised, as was expected. He complains about what lousy company he is, but after all he's been through, I think he's doing pretty darn well!

In a Heartbeat

My dad is in the hospital having his second pacemaker put in. He had the first one three years ago, after a quadruple bypass. Lately he has had dizzy spells and can't seem to catch his breath. His doctor said he would benefit from an upgraded pacemaker. He found out about this Tuesday, and had the procedure done Friday.

He is still in hospital, having suffered extensive bleeding overnight. He is receiving a transfusion right now, and they say he could come home tomorrow.

If you're the praying sort, please put in a good word or two for my dad. He could use it.

Interesting Google Search

Someone in the UK just Googled "loser husband and anniversary" and was directed to my blog! Based on my last few posts, I can see why that happened, but it totally cracks me up.

By the way,

Mingle² - Online Dating

I need to cuss more!

My Little Girl is Two!!

Day at the Park

In between thunderstorms this morning, I took K to the park, and we joined some moms from our local moms organization. I haven't been able to do anything with them, since most of the events are weekday mornings. Oh well, that's what my summers are for!

Can you tell that Kate is the biggest one in the bunch? She's bigger than the 4-year-olds! Oy!

Happy Anniversary!

I just want to take a minute to tell my husband happy anniversary. We got married 7 years ago today, and each year is better and better. You are a wonderful husband and father, and I don't tell you often enough how much I love you.

Then...

And now...

At the Zoo

We visited the zoo in my hometown last week. For a small town, it's really a decent zoo. It was K's first time there, and she did a great job. I brought the stroller, but she walked the whole thing.



The highlights were feeding the giraffes and the catfish.

Target sucks!

I went to Target today to return something, and they stated that since I didn't have a receipt (it was a gift) I had to choose something out of the same department worth that amount of money.

Okaaaaay... I went to the back of the store, found the items that would work, and went back to customer service. A different gal was there, and she asked to see my license. After entering the number, she told me that I couldn't return any items on that license! She said you are only allowed to return two items in a "rolling" year! I asked her to find out what dates I had returned items. After dialing a number and waiting on hold forever, she wrote down the following dates:

2/17/2007
6/26/2006

Yes, that's right. Nearly a year ago to the day I returned something. I asked her if there was any way I could go ahead and return it today and save myself the trip, and she said there was nothing she could do. I asked her if I could return in five days and bring back the item, and she said yes. What?!? How will five days make it all better? It's the same item, and most likely will be the same price. But today they can't take it back.

That 2-items-returned-within-a-year rule is ridiculous.

Poetry

We cleaned out my grandmother's apartment this weekend. It was not an easy thing to do, because she lived surrounded by things that were very special to her. She had pottery from all over the world, the Ethan Allen furniture that was in her house where my mom grew up, pictures from generations ago, and crafts that family members had lovingly made for her.

The highlight of the weekend came when cleaning out her sewing basket. We came across a poem written on a scrap of paper. I think she was going to needlepoint it. It just shows her wry sense of humor, and had us all cracking up.

When sweetness fails,
And tears don't work,
BITCH!

I am kidless!!

G and K are visiting Nana, and I will join them tomorrow evening. I have a workshop to attend tomorrow, so I will just drive home after that. G had to be there today to begin a music camp. So in the meantime, I have the house to myself!!

What's a girl to do? Clean, shop, sleep, watch a TV show that does not involve Elmo?

Hmmm... decisions, decisions.

Big Loser

My husband is a big loser. I mean that in the kindest possible way. He's a wonderful person... he just loses things. I'll bet he's bought 5 cell phone rechargers, because every time he's out of town, he leaves it in the hotel room.

Last night we went out to eat and then to Home Depot, and when he got home, he realized he didn't have his cell phone with him. We called both places, but neither one had a phone turned in. We called the phone itself, but no one ever picked up. When I called it this morning, it went straight to voice mail, so I think that means the battery has died.

Maybe I'm lucky I'm a girl and carry a purse. I've never taken my phone anywhere and left it, or had it fall out of its little waistband clip thingy. I use it, and put it right back in my purse. Should I make him carry a purse? A man-purse? A murse?

Anyway, looks like he's getting a new phone. I think this was all a ploy to get a new iPhone. I need to start losing more things. Then I'll get new ones!

Learning to Smile

Almost got it....


There!

I am raising a giant!

My 23-month-old has already outgrown her car seat! How can that be? In April, she was 39.6 pounds, and car seats only go up to 40 pounds! I didn't think we'd be at this point until she was 4 or so, and then I could get her a booster seat.

It looks like I'll have to get her the fancy-schmancy Britax car seat. Online, they go for around $269. Yikes! They are rated up to 80 pounds though, so that should last her a couple more years.

Boy, buying a car seat a year is getting old! I am scouring Craig's List and eBay in hopes of a deal. Wish me luck!

Party Time

We just returned from my grandmother's 90th birthday party. It went very well. She really liked the Saturday Evening Posts, even though only two arrived in time. I guess the third eBay seller is about to get a negative feedback -- ha!

My stepmom put a lot of planning into the party. It was very elegant, and everything coordinated perfectly. She even bought my grandmother a new outfit, and made my dad wear a new shirt, that went with the color scheme (blue and brown).

My mom made her a photo quilt. It was filled with pictures from my grandmother's childhood, marriage, her kids, her grandkids, and her great-grandchild. It was a big hit, and she was the belle of the ball as she showed it off to everyone.

I want a party just like it when I'm 90. I can't wait to roll my scooter downstairs and have everyone eat cake in my honor!

Four More Days!!

I just have to say I have four more days until we are on summer vacation! I love teaching, I really do, but this is the best time of year. I don't know who's more excited: the kids or the teachers. It's so nice having an unstructured day. I might not put my watch on until August 27.

90 is the new 80

My grandmother turns 90 in two weeks. 90! That is incredible. I can't imagine how the world has changed in the past 90 years. What will it look like in the next 59 when I hopefully celebrate 90 years on this earth?

What do you get a woman who is turning 90? She lives in an assisted-living home where she has her own apartment, but three meals a day are eaten downstairs in the dining room. She doesn't have much space.

My stepmom is making her a scrapbook, and my mom is making her a photo quilt.

I did what I always do when faced with a shopping dilemma: I look on eBay!

I bought her three issues of the Saturday Evening Post. One is from the year she was born, one is from the 1930s, and one is from the 1940s. I figured she'll get a kick out of looking through them. I think we all will.

We have a tiny family. She has one son (my dad) and my sister and I are her only two grandkids. Her own mom died in childbirth, so she has no brothers or sisters, nieces or nephews. Just us. I'm glad we'll be there to celebrate next week. The party is going to be at her "home" since that's the easiest place for her to be. All of her friends already live there, so they are all invited.

It's been a rough few weeks, so I am eager to celebrate with her. Happy birthday, Betty!

Home Woes

I hope it's true bad things come in threes. That would mean we're done for a while.

First our washing machine broke. It needed a new transmission. Who knew washing machines even had transmissions? So that was a quick $250.

Then the AC went out. We needed an entire new unit. That was a not-so-fun $2300. Yikes!

Now our kitchen sink is backed up. We've plunged and plunged, to no avail. I just called a plumber who will "try" to come out tomorrow afternoon. That's a $50 service charge, plus $32.50 every 15 minutes! Ouch!

Please, let this be it for awhile! I really don't have any intention of keeping the Metroplex repair shops in business single-handedly!

A New Use for a Box of Animal Crackers

Hot!

Our air conditioner has gone out! When I got home from work yesterday, it was 88 degrees in the house! Of course, we have temps in the 80s and humidity that's one molecule away from actually raining, so it's like a sauna inside and out.

I called the AC repair place (my 4th service call in 3 years) and they can come out between 8 and noon today. That means I'll have to leave work to come meet them. I think I'll try to let them get started on everything outside, and come home when it's convenient for me. I can't imagine they need to do too much inside, besides check to make sure it's finally blowing cold air. Oh, and I'm sure they want me to pay them. We'll see how long the AC works this time!

Pee-yew!!!

Tonight K was in the bathtub, and she was cleaning her various parts as I named them.

Whenever she has a stinky diaper, I make a big deal over it, and say "Pee-yew! You're stinky!"

Well, as she got closer to her girly-parts, I was all set to say the technical name for it, when she said "Pee-yew!" and pointed proudly right to her nether-region.

Great. Is it possible I'm already giving her a complex?

Slacker Mom

I am a slacker mom. I'll be the first to admit it. I am proud of it. I think there is nothing wrong with giving a child a bit of freedom to determine what happens in this world. Everything's a learning experience. My job in life is to make my child independent.

I read Confessions of a Slacker Mom http://tinyurl.com/2bw3l7 and loved it! I got it from the library, so if you're a cheapo like me, check there first. The author says that her children are well-loved and important to the family, but the parents are not there to cater to the children's every whim. I love that. My 22-month-old knows to get her own cup of juice off the kitchen counter where she left it, and to put it in the sink when she's through drinking it. I am not here to serve her, and she is happy to do things by herself.

I do not have safety mechansisms all over my house like a giant daycare center. Our fireplace corners are unprotected. We have no safety faucet hot water thingy in the bathtub. I decided before she was even born that I wanted to houseproof my baby, not babyproof my house. I always wonder, in those uber-protected houses, what happens when the kid goes somewhere else? Do they scald themselves on hot water? Are they drawn to every unprotected outlet in the house? When does the learning process take place, if they've never had to deal with it?

I get kid catalogs with oodles and gobs of "necessary" equipment for protecting a child against himself. I often wonder who buys all this stuff. If we could all live in a rubber room, I guess we'd be safe.

The moms (and it's usually the moms, not the dads) that think they invented parenting just make me roll my eyes. We all grew up with a miniscule amount of safety features availble, and yet we're still alive and kicking. None of this is directed at anyone I know personally. It's just that reading parenting articles from different viewpoints sometimes lays a guilt trip on just about everyone that doesn't subscribe to the author's doctrine. I think all moms should realize that everyone is doing the best they can, and what works for one family, may not work for another.

Slacker Moms: unite!!

(Oh, and there's a Confessions of a Slacker Wife too that is just as good.)

Room-ba! Room-ba!

I am beyond excited -- my Roomba arrived today! It is a little disk-shaped "robot" that vacuums your floor while you are away. With the amount of doghair we have, I think this will be a lifesaver.

I can come home to a freshly-vacummed house every day! If only it cooked dinner, too.

I am slightly disappointed that it has to charge for 24 hours first. I'll have to wait until tomorrow night to program it, and until Friday to enter my April-fresh particle-free home.

Next up: The Woomba. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8zMIkMlOWU

Boomshine

I have a new obsession. If you have not played Boomshine http://www.k2xl.com/games/boomshine/ you need to try it. It is so simple. You just click on dots, and they grow and encompass other dots. It's pretty mindless, which is probably why I like it. The best part is you can't die. You simply keep playing until you complete all 12 levels, or until you want to turn it off. The music is Yanni-esque, so it's very soothing. I just leave it on underneath other windows on my computer, so I can check in throughout the day.

Just had to share... have fun!

Grandma J

My grandmother passed away on Friday, April 13. She would have been 87 next Thursday.

She was strikingly beautiful when she was younger. As she aged, she was very concerned about her appearance. She had a brain tumor, and that made one side of her face droop. She never could smile like she wanted, and she didn't like how she looked in pictures. I'll post ones of her when she was 19, since that's how she would have wanted to be remembered.

Thankfully, the end came fast. Less than 24 hours after we got the call that she was taken to the ER, she was gone. That's what she would have wanted. She never wanted to go into a nursing home, rely on anyone for help, or be any bit of trouble. She lived in an apartment by herself. She was independent until the very end.

We have a very small family. Grandma J had two daughters. She had three grandkids, and two great-grandbabies, one of which she never got to meet. My daughter was the light of her life. We were coming for a visit this weekend, and she had been talking non-stop about how excited she was to see her. We made it to the hospital Thursday night, but Grandma J didn't even know we were there.

We are planning the arrangements now. My aunt flew in from Chicago, and my sister will be in from New York around midnight tonight. Grandma J wanted something very simple for a service. She wants to be cremated, and she has a plot and tombstone next to my grandfather in Illinois.

Everyone who ever met her loved her. My mom's friends would stop by and visit her, not because they felt any obligation to, but because she was genuinely a nice person to talk to and visit. My friends and my sister's friends loved to stop by and see her when they were in town. She never had a cross word to say about anyone, and she never complained about a thing. She never wanted to take up our time, but it was our pleasure to get to spend time with her.

We will all miss her.

Tiptoeing Through the Bluebonnets

We did the traditional park-the-kid-in-the-bluebonnets-and-tell-'em-to-look-cute thing last week. Here's the best and the worst. We only got about 4 good ones, and the rest all look like the second one.

What a day!

Our washing machine has been doing strange things lately. It won't complete its spin cycle, so I have sopping wet clothes to attempt to put in the dryer. If I can even lift them out of the washer, they take hours to dry. I hung towels and jeans on the clothesline in 40 degree weather, just so they would dry before Memorial Day. I hate crunchy jeans and towels, but I guess I can live with it.

I called a repair guy, and he said he would be here yesterday afternoon, so my husband volunteered to come home early to meet him. I am so glad he got home first! When he had left for work, he evidently didn't latch the laundry room door all the way, and the two dogs (80-pound Labs) had free run of the house. Ordinarily that's not a bad thing, but one of them, I'm not sure who, has had some gastrointestinal distress lately. DH said there was sh!t from one end of the house to the other.

Needless to say, I dawdled on my way home. I was not in a hurry to be greeted by that mess. By the time I got home, DH had actually done a good job cleaning it up. Every door in the house was wide open to let the house air out. After K went to bed, we did a massive vacuum and steam-cleaning job. I think it will be OK, but that is never a fun thing to come home to.

Oh! And the repair guy came. He said in his 30 years of repairing washers, he's never seen one spin and agitate at the same time, which is what mine was doing. Yay, I'm original. He said the transmission is out. I had no idea washers had transmissions! He can put a new one in today... for $250. That's right on the cusp of Do I Fix It, or Just Buy a New One. I would love a front-loading high efficiency washer, but those are around $1200, which we are definitely not ready for. Even a new cheapo Sears one like ours is around $500. I think we'll make this repair, but the next time something breaks, we get a new one.

Ugh! Please let nothing break or crap today.

I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore.

A tornado hit our street last night at 9:15. We never heard sirens go off. We heard a loud wind, but didn't think anything about it. I saw emergency vehicles a few houses down, and thought a house had been hit by lightning, but I didn't smell any smoke. About 10 minutes later, a firefighter knocked on our door and asked it everyone was OK. I said we were fine, and asked what had happened. He said, "A tornado touched down about 100 yards from your house."

Kate was asleep, so we walked down the street to see what had happened. It was pretty bad. A car was flipped on its roof in the middle of the street. Our babysitter's house was at Ground Zero. They lost their chimney, and pickets from their fence came shooting through their windows. Glass was everywhere. All the upstairs bedroom ceilings were leaking from the holes in the roof. Their patio roof collapsed. Their trampoline and patio furniture were gone. The house was not safe and the kids were scared, so the kids spent the night with us.

As far as our house, it seems to be OK. I think we lost some shingles, but we gained a trampoline! It is bent, but it landed right-side-up in our backyard, perfectly placed between our trees! An inspector will come out later and check our roof, but we're way down the priority list. I walked around today, and everyone is pitching in to help each other. It's a gorgeous day, so it's a good day to take care of everything that needs to be done. The Red Cross is here, and some people have been driving around handing out water and Rice Krispy treats.

No one was injured, although 5 homes are currently uninhabitable. We were all very lucky. My side of the street sustained the least damage, while the other side of the street and down the block had quite a bit.

This link shows the scene from last night: http://wyliephotos.com/fire/2007/070330/index.htm and I have also attached some pictures I took this morning. The trampoline is our yard, and the other houses are down the block.

Surfer Girl

I thought for kicks I'd list a few websites that occupy my time when I'm not reading other blogs.

http://www.wylieview.com -- A community message board with way too much drama
http://www.gofugyourself.com -- An incredibly snarky fashion site
http://www.stuffonmycat.com -- Stuff + Cats = Awesome
http://www.perezhilton.com -- Not safe around kids/at work, but always the most up-to-date celebrity news
http://www.ebay.com -- I hope you know what this is!

That about rounds out my recent internet usage history. Sad, isn't it...

Black and Blue

I am a battered woman. Now, before you direct me to the nearest shelter, it's not from my husband. It's from my 21-month-old.

On Saturday, she was sitting on the floor in front of me, and reared back with such force, I felt her skull hit my kneecap. We were both practically in tears, but we both recovered our composure quickly. I just have a nice bruise to show for it. Her head seems to have no lasting effects.

Yesterday, she was sitting on my lap on the couch, and she brought her head back directly into my lip. I had two very fat lips for the remainder of the evening. The seem to have disappeared by this morning, but I am now very gun-shy around that noggin of hers.

My daughter, the battering ram: