Today we went to the lake in town.
This is really what we pretty much do every day all summer long.
I honestly feel like it is my reward for getting through the school year and spring sports and all of the nonsense of scheduled life.
This year it is a little more challenging for us because if there isn't anyone for my 13 year old to hang out with, he is miserable.
My daughter on the other hand is in her prime for enjoying the lake. She has tons of friends there and is so happy to splash around and hang out with them,
Today we arrived in the morning for the kids' lessons. The lake opens up for swimming soon after.
The plan was that one of my daughter's friends would come home with us for a sleepover. My daughter had slept at her house last week and it was time to return the favor.
They have another friend that they play with and I was making arrangements to have a sleepover with her (the girls and their moms have been friends of mine for years) for later this week or next week when the girls decided that they all really really wanted to have a sleepover all together.
I was game. Honestly, they're going to talk and giggle and I'll probably have to remind them a jillion times to get some sleep because they have lessons in the morning, but I figured if I was doing it , why not get it all done in one night instead of two nights and two mornings with a cranky mommy searching for a caffeine fix?
The girls squealed with delight when all the moms agreed and the plan was set.
It was then I sensed some puppy dog eyes staring at me ....It was my son, giving me that, "If she's having people over...." look.
Why not, seriously after adding one extra kid, it hardly seemed like it would matter.
So I have 5 kids in my house right now, but other than giggling and some running up and down the stairs , you really wouldn't know it.
I love that even though it was last minute , as you all know , I'm a bit of a planner, we've managed. I hope the kids have a blast and I hope they all get a decent nights sleep, but that's never really the point of the sleepover, is it?
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Ridin' Along In My Automobile
I've discovered that there are things that my family will always do on a car trip.
- If there is a town that has the same name as a town near home, we always make a comment as if we've driven the wrong way, or that our destination was closer to home than we thought. Clearly,it never gets old.
( For example- "Milford? Aww man, we're back in Massachusetts")
- Any town name that can be made into a song or silly word, will get the royal treatment from my husband and daughter who are excellent at making these up.
- We hunt license plates. I was amazed we found 34 different ones! 32 of them states, one from Quebec and one from Washington D.C. We even saw one from Alaska!
- At some point , someone will be ill. In this case , my daughter threw up in the car. I have to hand it to her though, she got everything into the jillions of bags I had , just in case and there was no mess. She also did it while were were one mile away from a rest stop where we were able to get rid of everything and brush her teeth.
- We read signs, out loud. I kind of assumed everyone did this until my sister got married and her husband pointed out that we all did this. I don't know if it's so we remember different things, or it's just nice to see new signs, businesses, or beach house nicknames, but we all do it and it's a bit of a competition to see who can find the coolest one.
What do your families do while on the road? We're always looking for new games to play or fun ideas! Let me know, I'd love to hear them.
- If there is a town that has the same name as a town near home, we always make a comment as if we've driven the wrong way, or that our destination was closer to home than we thought. Clearly,it never gets old.
( For example- "Milford? Aww man, we're back in Massachusetts")
- Any town name that can be made into a song or silly word, will get the royal treatment from my husband and daughter who are excellent at making these up.
- We hunt license plates. I was amazed we found 34 different ones! 32 of them states, one from Quebec and one from Washington D.C. We even saw one from Alaska!
- At some point , someone will be ill. In this case , my daughter threw up in the car. I have to hand it to her though, she got everything into the jillions of bags I had , just in case and there was no mess. She also did it while were were one mile away from a rest stop where we were able to get rid of everything and brush her teeth.
- We read signs, out loud. I kind of assumed everyone did this until my sister got married and her husband pointed out that we all did this. I don't know if it's so we remember different things, or it's just nice to see new signs, businesses, or beach house nicknames, but we all do it and it's a bit of a competition to see who can find the coolest one.
What do your families do while on the road? We're always looking for new games to play or fun ideas! Let me know, I'd love to hear them.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Woah, We're More Than Halfway There....
We finally got to the hotel.
We were all exhausted, but in pretty good moods.
We had picked a hotel with a pool, so that the kids would get a chance to do something after being cooped up in the car all day.
We thought picking a hotel with an indoor pool would be smart, that way in case it was raining, we could still swim.
Well, so did every other human in a 50 mile radius.
I get it, there wasn't a lot going on in the town we stayed in, so most of the people there had the same brilliant idea as us.
Everything in the pool area was wet. Chairs, towels, even the walls, were soaked.
Kids were running around like maniacs, I remained calm, but couldn't help notice that the adult presence seemed a little low for how many kids there were.
Once we found a partially dry corner, we all went in the pool. It was then I was able to see that there was a large group of kids there with one woman as their adult supervision. Okay, that's fine. Except, she couldn't have paid less attention to any of them.
I am all for kids letting off steam, I know that in a pool full of kids, you're going to get splashed and bumped into, but these kids were out of control.
They ran from the hot tub to the pool and back..jumping in each place without paying any attention to who they were jumping on, and just at the moment when I thought,"Okay, my nerves are shot, just calm down" , my husband looked at me and said, "Someone is going to get killed, who is watching them?"
Once my kids had had enough (we felt awful, they basically stayed in a shallow corner to avoid the madness) we attempted to dry off and head out for some dinner.
As we were leaving the pool area, all the other adults who belonged to the pack of wild ones, were coming into the pool area, with tons of alcohol. Awesome, things would clearly get better.
Once back on our room we all decided we were much too tired to go and sit at a restaurant, so we ordered some take out , ate it in the room and soon after , went to bed.
Tomorrow we would head to our destination!
We were all exhausted, but in pretty good moods.
We had picked a hotel with a pool, so that the kids would get a chance to do something after being cooped up in the car all day.
We thought picking a hotel with an indoor pool would be smart, that way in case it was raining, we could still swim.
Well, so did every other human in a 50 mile radius.
I get it, there wasn't a lot going on in the town we stayed in, so most of the people there had the same brilliant idea as us.
Everything in the pool area was wet. Chairs, towels, even the walls, were soaked.
Kids were running around like maniacs, I remained calm, but couldn't help notice that the adult presence seemed a little low for how many kids there were.
Once we found a partially dry corner, we all went in the pool. It was then I was able to see that there was a large group of kids there with one woman as their adult supervision. Okay, that's fine. Except, she couldn't have paid less attention to any of them.
I am all for kids letting off steam, I know that in a pool full of kids, you're going to get splashed and bumped into, but these kids were out of control.
They ran from the hot tub to the pool and back..jumping in each place without paying any attention to who they were jumping on, and just at the moment when I thought,"Okay, my nerves are shot, just calm down" , my husband looked at me and said, "Someone is going to get killed, who is watching them?"
Once my kids had had enough (we felt awful, they basically stayed in a shallow corner to avoid the madness) we attempted to dry off and head out for some dinner.
As we were leaving the pool area, all the other adults who belonged to the pack of wild ones, were coming into the pool area, with tons of alcohol. Awesome, things would clearly get better.
Once back on our room we all decided we were much too tired to go and sit at a restaurant, so we ordered some take out , ate it in the room and soon after , went to bed.
Tomorrow we would head to our destination!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Scenes From A Road Trip
The following takes place on a very early summer morning , when a family of four jumped in their minivan and headed south...
5am- "Can we watch a movie?"
"Sure, just use your headphones please."
"Ummm, we didn't pack any."
Cut to me ripping through bags to find my husbands and my ear buds for our ipods, since it's way too early to pop into a Target or Walmart to grab some. Oh lord, I hope that's all we forgot.
7am- Paid $3.99 for gas in New York. Yikes!
- I love how we have a set of directions to help us bypass some of the busier parts of the trip, but we're still using our GPS. Our poor GPS, who is a girl, has recalculated a jillion times and it's only 8am. Also, even though we are the ones who are "disobeying" her, my husband still feels completely justified in arguing with her.
10:00- Hit bumper to bumper traffic as we enter Delaware. Boo.
Baltimore- This is where my husband and I threatened to take away every bit of electronics the kids brought if they could not be bothered to look at the scenery. I think that's a lot of the beauty of a road trip, I love reading signs and coming across interesting things. I also love how content my kids were because of the DVD's they could watch. Also, I love that they watched "Clue" and "Annie", two childhood favorites of mine.
The Capital Beltway- Where exhaustion sets in as we sit in traffic. On to Richmond!
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD - WE WILL NEVER GET TO RICHMOND!! Traffic sucks, oh and did I mention that something in/on/under my car is making a howling noise? **car stuff freaks me out**
The moment when I lost my cool- (a.k.a. How many people does it take to change a baby?)
We stopped off the highway to check on the car. Our professional diagnosis being, we have no idea.
We all decided to stop at a McDonald's and use the restroom.
We step out of the car. So hot. Sweating, and we haven't even moved yet.
There is a line for the bathroom, once you get in the bathroom there is another line. There are TOO many people in this bathroom.
My daughter and I are next.
Three, that's right I said THREE, adults come in the bathroom to change a baby. The changing table isn't in a stall, it opens up into the already tiny bathroom waiting area.
My daughter and I have to move and now stand between the sink and a stall where a woman is trying to get out and has her adult diaper in her hand. ( Please don't think me insensitive, I was completely overwhelmed in the moment and I HAD TO PEE!!!)
I may have yelled, "THAT'S IT!" and pushed our way out of the bathroom.
My husband and son stood there with their oh so empty bladders as I yelled, " WE HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!" (Here is a dramatic representation of the event, I swear the bathroom was even smaller than depicted)
Luckily there was a Target across the street where we were able to use the bathrooms and score some cheapo lumbar pillows that saved the rest of the car trip.
We were thrilled that we had planned to stop at a hotel for the night and not drive straight through.
More to come.....
5am- "Can we watch a movie?"
"Sure, just use your headphones please."
"Ummm, we didn't pack any."
Cut to me ripping through bags to find my husbands and my ear buds for our ipods, since it's way too early to pop into a Target or Walmart to grab some. Oh lord, I hope that's all we forgot.
7am- Paid $3.99 for gas in New York. Yikes!
- I love how we have a set of directions to help us bypass some of the busier parts of the trip, but we're still using our GPS. Our poor GPS, who is a girl, has recalculated a jillion times and it's only 8am. Also, even though we are the ones who are "disobeying" her, my husband still feels completely justified in arguing with her.
10:00- Hit bumper to bumper traffic as we enter Delaware. Boo.
Baltimore- This is where my husband and I threatened to take away every bit of electronics the kids brought if they could not be bothered to look at the scenery. I think that's a lot of the beauty of a road trip, I love reading signs and coming across interesting things. I also love how content my kids were because of the DVD's they could watch. Also, I love that they watched "Clue" and "Annie", two childhood favorites of mine.
The Capital Beltway- Where exhaustion sets in as we sit in traffic. On to Richmond!
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD - WE WILL NEVER GET TO RICHMOND!! Traffic sucks, oh and did I mention that something in/on/under my car is making a howling noise? **car stuff freaks me out**
The moment when I lost my cool- (a.k.a. How many people does it take to change a baby?)
We stopped off the highway to check on the car. Our professional diagnosis being, we have no idea.
We all decided to stop at a McDonald's and use the restroom.
We step out of the car. So hot. Sweating, and we haven't even moved yet.
There is a line for the bathroom, once you get in the bathroom there is another line. There are TOO many people in this bathroom.
My daughter and I are next.
Three, that's right I said THREE, adults come in the bathroom to change a baby. The changing table isn't in a stall, it opens up into the already tiny bathroom waiting area.
My daughter and I have to move and now stand between the sink and a stall where a woman is trying to get out and has her adult diaper in her hand. ( Please don't think me insensitive, I was completely overwhelmed in the moment and I HAD TO PEE!!!)
I may have yelled, "THAT'S IT!" and pushed our way out of the bathroom.
My husband and son stood there with their oh so empty bladders as I yelled, " WE HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!" (Here is a dramatic representation of the event, I swear the bathroom was even smaller than depicted)
Luckily there was a Target across the street where we were able to use the bathrooms and score some cheapo lumbar pillows that saved the rest of the car trip.
We were thrilled that we had planned to stop at a hotel for the night and not drive straight through.
More to come.....
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
In The Interest of Being Interesting
Hello out there!
I just thought I'd let you know that Two Penny Jenny is going to be taking a little vacation. I don't know if I'll have any internet access (which may be a nice change of pace) and I didn't want to leave anyone hanging.
I hope you are all having wonderful relaxing summer and I'm sure I will have many stories to tell when I return.
I just thought I'd let you know that Two Penny Jenny is going to be taking a little vacation. I don't know if I'll have any internet access (which may be a nice change of pace) and I didn't want to leave anyone hanging.
I hope you are all having wonderful relaxing summer and I'm sure I will have many stories to tell when I return.
Friday, June 22, 2012
15 years
I cannot believe I have been married for 15 years.
There are so many highlights over the years , I thought I would try and name 15.
1. Taking a few minutes at our wedding to go off to a quiet corner and watch everyone having fun. The day was so busy, hot, crazy, hot, and did I mention hot? It was so nice to see all the people that were there to celebrate with us.
2. The morning we found out I was pregnant with our son. I was so excited, we carpooled to work then. When we got to a 4 way stop, I , the passenger, waved the other cars to go ahead of us. My husband informed me that as the driver, that he should be the one to do it. I was just so happy , I wanted everyone to have a great day!
3. Taking our son home from the NICU.
4. Trying to get pregnant the second time around, giving up and getting the surprise of a lifetime and the missing piece to our puzzle, a little girl.
5. Our trip to Niagara Falls, our first trip without kids. It may have cost us a fortune, but it was great and I'm so happy we were both thinking, "I can't wait to take the kids here." Which we still have to do by the way.
6. Singing in the car. Any road trip, my husband is really good at keeping everyone's moods up.
7. Purchasing our condo. We were so happy to be able to finally afford something in a town that we love. It may not be much, but it's ours and we love it. I am very proud of us for getting it.
8. Camping. So happy we all did it for the first time together. I love that its a new tradition for us and we have such a great time (minus the 10 minute "setting up the tent fight").
9. The time I thought I heard something go bump in the night, husband went to investigate, stepped on legos in the living room. I heard him yell, so I assumed something was up, I started yelling, he thought something was up, there was a lot of confusion, and yelling, "What are you yelling for? What are YOU yelling for?!" and it was followed by us laughing like lunatics for hours.
10. Merkle de Mayo, a fun tradition we've started. Friends, tequila, beer and nachos. I love when we work as a team and get to have a great time.
11. Sitting at any sporting event for our kids together. It's almost like a date. Almost.
12. I would be remiss, if I didn't mention that a huge highlight for me has been the privilege of getting to stay home. When I think of where we started and how hard we've worked and now how hard he works for us, I am very thankful. I love my hard workin man.
13. The weekend we painted the kitchen and living room and had waaay too many margaritas!
14. The way we've comforted each other through tough times.
15. Getting to spend this weekend with you !!!! (big thanks to Mom and Dad for taking the kids!)
There are so many highlights over the years , I thought I would try and name 15.
1. Taking a few minutes at our wedding to go off to a quiet corner and watch everyone having fun. The day was so busy, hot, crazy, hot, and did I mention hot? It was so nice to see all the people that were there to celebrate with us.
2. The morning we found out I was pregnant with our son. I was so excited, we carpooled to work then. When we got to a 4 way stop, I , the passenger, waved the other cars to go ahead of us. My husband informed me that as the driver, that he should be the one to do it. I was just so happy , I wanted everyone to have a great day!
3. Taking our son home from the NICU.
4. Trying to get pregnant the second time around, giving up and getting the surprise of a lifetime and the missing piece to our puzzle, a little girl.
5. Our trip to Niagara Falls, our first trip without kids. It may have cost us a fortune, but it was great and I'm so happy we were both thinking, "I can't wait to take the kids here." Which we still have to do by the way.
6. Singing in the car. Any road trip, my husband is really good at keeping everyone's moods up.
7. Purchasing our condo. We were so happy to be able to finally afford something in a town that we love. It may not be much, but it's ours and we love it. I am very proud of us for getting it.
8. Camping. So happy we all did it for the first time together. I love that its a new tradition for us and we have such a great time (minus the 10 minute "setting up the tent fight").
9. The time I thought I heard something go bump in the night, husband went to investigate, stepped on legos in the living room. I heard him yell, so I assumed something was up, I started yelling, he thought something was up, there was a lot of confusion, and yelling, "What are you yelling for? What are YOU yelling for?!" and it was followed by us laughing like lunatics for hours.
10. Merkle de Mayo, a fun tradition we've started. Friends, tequila, beer and nachos. I love when we work as a team and get to have a great time.
11. Sitting at any sporting event for our kids together. It's almost like a date. Almost.
12. I would be remiss, if I didn't mention that a huge highlight for me has been the privilege of getting to stay home. When I think of where we started and how hard we've worked and now how hard he works for us, I am very thankful. I love my hard workin man.
13. The weekend we painted the kitchen and living room and had waaay too many margaritas!
14. The way we've comforted each other through tough times.
15. Getting to spend this weekend with you !!!! (big thanks to Mom and Dad for taking the kids!)
We Are The Champions!
The day was hot. Very, very hot.
The kids had their last day of school. We had planned to go to the lake in town to cool off, but my son had a championship playoff game that night and he didn't want to be tired.
The one bummer of the day was that my husband had to take a very last minute business trip and was going to miss the game. My husband was so disappointed and sad, sometimes it's hard to be a grown up. ( He would also be away for our 15th anniversary the next day...booo)
It was really funny watching my son prepare for his game. I have learned he's superstitious. He didn't want any dinner before the game because he didn't have dinner before the previous playoff game. I tried explaining that with a 7:00 start time, he may not be able to eat until very late. He ignored me as he had he pre-game snack, wheat thins and peanut butter.
On the way to the previous game, his spirits were down because he was kind-of convinced that they wouldn't win. I decided to change all the lyrics to the songs we were listening to so that they were all about his team winning. Not my finest lyrical work, but it made the kids laugh (which may have had more to do with my lack of singing ability) and it was fun.
One of the songs we heard was "Come on Eileen". I LOVE this song, I never get tired of it. So I changed the lyrics to "Come on (town name here), Oh I swear, you can win, You've got this, Oh come on (town name)".
On the way to the championship game, at almost exactly the same place we had heard it two days before, "Come on Eileen" came on the radio again! My son turned to me and yelled, "You have to sing it again!" I was not about to be the reason the team lost, so I obliged.
We played against another tough team, but we came out top! We managed another shut-out against a very good team. I called my husband when there was one out left and put him on speaker phone so he could hear all the chaos when we won. It was great, not the same as being there, but great.
It's so nice to see a team come together. A team of really hard working and nice 13-14 year olds. The coach had really great things to say about them all and was rewarded with a cooler full of water over his head. It was such a great night and wonderful memory for my son.
The kids had their last day of school. We had planned to go to the lake in town to cool off, but my son had a championship playoff game that night and he didn't want to be tired.
The one bummer of the day was that my husband had to take a very last minute business trip and was going to miss the game. My husband was so disappointed and sad, sometimes it's hard to be a grown up. ( He would also be away for our 15th anniversary the next day...booo)
It was really funny watching my son prepare for his game. I have learned he's superstitious. He didn't want any dinner before the game because he didn't have dinner before the previous playoff game. I tried explaining that with a 7:00 start time, he may not be able to eat until very late. He ignored me as he had he pre-game snack, wheat thins and peanut butter.
On the way to the previous game, his spirits were down because he was kind-of convinced that they wouldn't win. I decided to change all the lyrics to the songs we were listening to so that they were all about his team winning. Not my finest lyrical work, but it made the kids laugh (which may have had more to do with my lack of singing ability) and it was fun.
One of the songs we heard was "Come on Eileen". I LOVE this song, I never get tired of it. So I changed the lyrics to "Come on (town name here), Oh I swear, you can win, You've got this, Oh come on (town name)".
On the way to the championship game, at almost exactly the same place we had heard it two days before, "Come on Eileen" came on the radio again! My son turned to me and yelled, "You have to sing it again!" I was not about to be the reason the team lost, so I obliged.
We played against another tough team, but we came out top! We managed another shut-out against a very good team. I called my husband when there was one out left and put him on speaker phone so he could hear all the chaos when we won. It was great, not the same as being there, but great.
It's so nice to see a team come together. A team of really hard working and nice 13-14 year olds. The coach had really great things to say about them all and was rewarded with a cooler full of water over his head. It was such a great night and wonderful memory for my son.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Speed Of Lightening...Roar Of thunder...Fighting All Who Rob Or Plunder
UNDERDOG!!!!!!
Last night, my son had a playoff game for baseball.
According to the gossip on the field, my understanding was that out of 8 teams, 4 made the playoffs. I am thankful to anyone who could make sense of this crazy season. There were so many missed games due to the rain. So, of the 4 teams, our team was in 4th place, we were set to play against the 1st place team.
I had sat through two games where we had played against this team and they had clobbered us. One score I remember was 18-3.
When planning the week ahead, I will admit, I assumed that we would be done with baseball last night.
I've never been more excited to be wrong.
I dropped my son off at the field, went with my daughter to grab a coffee and returned in time for when the game started. As I was getting my chair, my daughter's blanket and her backpack stuffed with everything imaginable to keep her busy during the game, I heard some cheering from the field.
I was happy to hear that our team had scored a run. Soon enough we settled in and our team was up another run.
Some other parents started to arrive and were wondering if we were losing by much. They were as happy as I was to hear that we were winning!
All of the boys played well. On a personal note, my son, who has been average all year, managed to make two phenomenal plays. One being an outfield catch and another outfield catch followed by a throw to first for an awesome double play.
It's so fun to see him have some moments of pride. He may not be the most talented kid out there, but he shows up and has a good attitude and I think(being his mom , I am completely biased) he deserves some moments of glory.
I can't wait to see what happens in the championship game this week. No matter what , these boys have really come together and I am so proud of what they've accomplished.
Last night, my son had a playoff game for baseball.
According to the gossip on the field, my understanding was that out of 8 teams, 4 made the playoffs. I am thankful to anyone who could make sense of this crazy season. There were so many missed games due to the rain. So, of the 4 teams, our team was in 4th place, we were set to play against the 1st place team.
I had sat through two games where we had played against this team and they had clobbered us. One score I remember was 18-3.
When planning the week ahead, I will admit, I assumed that we would be done with baseball last night.
I've never been more excited to be wrong.
I dropped my son off at the field, went with my daughter to grab a coffee and returned in time for when the game started. As I was getting my chair, my daughter's blanket and her backpack stuffed with everything imaginable to keep her busy during the game, I heard some cheering from the field.
I was happy to hear that our team had scored a run. Soon enough we settled in and our team was up another run.
Some other parents started to arrive and were wondering if we were losing by much. They were as happy as I was to hear that we were winning!
All of the boys played well. On a personal note, my son, who has been average all year, managed to make two phenomenal plays. One being an outfield catch and another outfield catch followed by a throw to first for an awesome double play.
It's so fun to see him have some moments of pride. He may not be the most talented kid out there, but he shows up and has a good attitude and I think(being his mom , I am completely biased) he deserves some moments of glory.
I can't wait to see what happens in the championship game this week. No matter what , these boys have really come together and I am so proud of what they've accomplished.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Why Do They Call It Softball?
So last night we made our second trip to the emergency room with our daughter.
Our first was about a year ago when her finger was slammed in her brother's bedroom door.
Last night, my daughter had her last softball game to be followed by an awards ceremony. My son was at another field in town with his own baseball game.
We had decided that since this season has been so scattered with the rain, my husband and I would both attend our daughter's event since my son still has baseball for awhile.
My parents came to join in the fun and I had the video camera ready to go.
She was really having an amazing game, a couple of nice hits and she was able to play 1st base (her favorite). She was so happy we were all there to see it.
Then sadly, a throw came to first base and we all thought she may have actually caught it, but soon realized she got hit.
I saw her coaches go running, I turned to my husband and said, "Go." This is because he is faster than me and I needed someone there fast.
As she walked across the field, her face just began to swell, then I saw dark blue almost immediately. I really thought we'd throw some ice on it and she'd be back out there, but the more I looked at it, the more concerned I was getting, it was so huge!
I told my husband I was ready to panic and take her somewhere and that he needed to talk me down. Another parent showed concern at how fast it was swelling and my husband looked at me and said, "Go, I'll pack up the stuff and meet you there."
I am a little ashamed to say that it took my mother saying, " We'll go to J's game and meet you at home later" for me to even remember I had a son! I was panicking like no body's business.
I was a storm of emotion on the inside, but held it together until I hit a particularly long red light, where I did a little bargaining for my daughter's health.
When we arrived at the emergency room, it occurred to me I had never been there before by myself and I wasn't quite sure what to do with my car. I am very thankful for the valet attendant who took care of it all, for a $5.00 charge of course, but it was so worth it as I fumbled with locks and windows and general confusion.
Everyone at the emergency room was amazing. The hospital closest to us is a teaching hospital and I am always a little nervous, but both doctors we dealt with were spot on.
The concern was of course, a broken cheek bone. Nothing about her injury indicated that was the case, but the only way to be sure was to do a CT scan, and that brought up a whole host of other worries, like radiating my child's developing brain and such.
We decided, as the kindly Dr. Murphy assured us this is exactly what he would do with his own grandchild, to wait and see if it got worse before we proceeded with the scan.
We finally arrived home, where I was so touched by receiving a call from her coach, a teammate's mom (whose daughter threw the ball and is my daughter's friend and was very upset about it. I felt awful, I hadn't even realized who threw it and I assured her that my daughter was fine, and it was of course, and accident, they were sweet enough to grab my daughter's trophy and are headed over this afternoon so they can see her) and the commissioner of the softball league.
In all of this, the thing she is most delighted about is that she was supposed to get her palette expander put in tomorrow morning, but we are postponing that until she is cleared by the doctor and healed up. Love that she found the silver (literally!) lining.
Our first was about a year ago when her finger was slammed in her brother's bedroom door.
Last night, my daughter had her last softball game to be followed by an awards ceremony. My son was at another field in town with his own baseball game.
We had decided that since this season has been so scattered with the rain, my husband and I would both attend our daughter's event since my son still has baseball for awhile.
My parents came to join in the fun and I had the video camera ready to go.
She was really having an amazing game, a couple of nice hits and she was able to play 1st base (her favorite). She was so happy we were all there to see it.
Then sadly, a throw came to first base and we all thought she may have actually caught it, but soon realized she got hit.
I saw her coaches go running, I turned to my husband and said, "Go." This is because he is faster than me and I needed someone there fast.
As she walked across the field, her face just began to swell, then I saw dark blue almost immediately. I really thought we'd throw some ice on it and she'd be back out there, but the more I looked at it, the more concerned I was getting, it was so huge!
I told my husband I was ready to panic and take her somewhere and that he needed to talk me down. Another parent showed concern at how fast it was swelling and my husband looked at me and said, "Go, I'll pack up the stuff and meet you there."
I am a little ashamed to say that it took my mother saying, " We'll go to J's game and meet you at home later" for me to even remember I had a son! I was panicking like no body's business.
I was a storm of emotion on the inside, but held it together until I hit a particularly long red light, where I did a little bargaining for my daughter's health.
When we arrived at the emergency room, it occurred to me I had never been there before by myself and I wasn't quite sure what to do with my car. I am very thankful for the valet attendant who took care of it all, for a $5.00 charge of course, but it was so worth it as I fumbled with locks and windows and general confusion.
Everyone at the emergency room was amazing. The hospital closest to us is a teaching hospital and I am always a little nervous, but both doctors we dealt with were spot on.
The concern was of course, a broken cheek bone. Nothing about her injury indicated that was the case, but the only way to be sure was to do a CT scan, and that brought up a whole host of other worries, like radiating my child's developing brain and such.
We decided, as the kindly Dr. Murphy assured us this is exactly what he would do with his own grandchild, to wait and see if it got worse before we proceeded with the scan.
We finally arrived home, where I was so touched by receiving a call from her coach, a teammate's mom (whose daughter threw the ball and is my daughter's friend and was very upset about it. I felt awful, I hadn't even realized who threw it and I assured her that my daughter was fine, and it was of course, and accident, they were sweet enough to grab my daughter's trophy and are headed over this afternoon so they can see her) and the commissioner of the softball league.
In all of this, the thing she is most delighted about is that she was supposed to get her palette expander put in tomorrow morning, but we are postponing that until she is cleared by the doctor and healed up. Love that she found the silver (literally!) lining.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Almost There!
We are in the home stretch.
Things are winding down.
It's funny, that in the thick of it all, I cannot wait for this time. Now that it's here, I already miss it. You can't win with me, that should be obvious.
Last week, my son had his end of the year band concert. I am always amazed at the musical talent the students in our school have. My son plays the drums. I love seeing all the different types of drums that they get to play. I love when he plays the snare drum though. Something about that rat-a-tat-tat, love it.
This year, he played the triangle during one of the numbers. At first, I though there would be a couple of dings here and there, but during "The Pink Panther Theme Song" and "The Simpsons" he was going to town! It was really cool, I was quite amazed. I know he works hard practicing all year and it's nice to get to see it all come together.
My daughter also had her dance recital over the weekend. I love watching her dance. She performed in three numbers, tap, ballet and hip-hop. My parents were able to come to the recital this year and my mom cried while my daughter danced her ballet number. She really looks so sweet and happy up on stage.
When we were getting ready before the show, I announced it was time to do her hair and make-up and get dressed. She squealed, "Oh yes, it's my time to shine!" I can't help but think this stems from years of being dragged to all her brother's events and finally feeling proud that she has her own things for us to attend now.
For her hip-hop number, there was a part where all the kids gather in a semi-circle and each kid, or a couple of kids, get to do a trick. My daughter really, really, really wanted to do "the worm". She was so excited when her teacher said she could. I kid you not, I teared up. I am just amazed at her confidence and ability, she really rocked the worm.
After everyone comes out and takes their bow, there are a few awards handed out. There are some trophies for outstanding achievements. There are some class awards for classes that work well together and work hard. There are also honorable mention medals for students as well.
I saw my daughter's teacher get up and award a trophy to one of the older girls for ballet and then she went to hand out a medal for ballet. I literally gasped when I heard my daughter's name called. I was so so proud of her and I could tell by her beaming adorable fade that she was quite proud of herself as well. It's not something we will soon forget.
So now we have a softball closing day and ceremony and soon enough, baseball season will be ending and we can enjoy the long. lazy days of summer. I will miss you crazy spring, but I will see you again, sooner that I think.
Things are winding down.
It's funny, that in the thick of it all, I cannot wait for this time. Now that it's here, I already miss it. You can't win with me, that should be obvious.
Last week, my son had his end of the year band concert. I am always amazed at the musical talent the students in our school have. My son plays the drums. I love seeing all the different types of drums that they get to play. I love when he plays the snare drum though. Something about that rat-a-tat-tat, love it.
This year, he played the triangle during one of the numbers. At first, I though there would be a couple of dings here and there, but during "The Pink Panther Theme Song" and "The Simpsons" he was going to town! It was really cool, I was quite amazed. I know he works hard practicing all year and it's nice to get to see it all come together.
My daughter also had her dance recital over the weekend. I love watching her dance. She performed in three numbers, tap, ballet and hip-hop. My parents were able to come to the recital this year and my mom cried while my daughter danced her ballet number. She really looks so sweet and happy up on stage.
When we were getting ready before the show, I announced it was time to do her hair and make-up and get dressed. She squealed, "Oh yes, it's my time to shine!" I can't help but think this stems from years of being dragged to all her brother's events and finally feeling proud that she has her own things for us to attend now.
For her hip-hop number, there was a part where all the kids gather in a semi-circle and each kid, or a couple of kids, get to do a trick. My daughter really, really, really wanted to do "the worm". She was so excited when her teacher said she could. I kid you not, I teared up. I am just amazed at her confidence and ability, she really rocked the worm.
After everyone comes out and takes their bow, there are a few awards handed out. There are some trophies for outstanding achievements. There are some class awards for classes that work well together and work hard. There are also honorable mention medals for students as well.
I saw my daughter's teacher get up and award a trophy to one of the older girls for ballet and then she went to hand out a medal for ballet. I literally gasped when I heard my daughter's name called. I was so so proud of her and I could tell by her beaming adorable fade that she was quite proud of herself as well. It's not something we will soon forget.
So now we have a softball closing day and ceremony and soon enough, baseball season will be ending and we can enjoy the long. lazy days of summer. I will miss you crazy spring, but I will see you again, sooner that I think.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Pantry Raid
We have no food in the house.
Except for we have a ton of food in the house.
I am in a dinner slump. I think it's because we've been so busy, I have been making things that are quick and easy and portable.
I cleaned and organized my front closet today . I keep extra food in there, stuff that maybe there was a good deal on, but I can't fit in my cabinets. I have 3 shelves and they're full. The cabinet I keep food in isn't full, but it's certainly not empty.
Yet, my family keeps asking when I'm going grocery shopping.
I have decided. I'm not.
I will go out and buy produce and other fresh items that we need, but other than that I am challenging my family to eat what we have.
Really, I'm challenging myself. I'm the one who is going to be googling what I can make with tomato soup and kidney beans. Kidney bean tomato soup for everyone! I have a feeling that this is going to go over like a lead balloon.
There's a reason I bought this food and I don't want to be wasteful and I'm not a doomsday prepper or an extreme coupon-er. I just want all this stuff out of here and we can make a fresh start.
My daughter will really be the one to fight it the most. She likes what she likes when she likes it, oh yes, sometimes she only likes things on certain days. I think I will adopt my father-in-law's rule to get me through this. "This is what's for dinner, if you don't like it, make yourself a peanut butter sandwich and go to bed." I may be more lenient on the "go to bed" part.
My son will pretty much eat whatever we put in front of him. He's really going to be helpful in the coming weeks.
So what do you think? Will we make it? How long before I'm sick of my own challenge?
All this being said, we are ordering Thai food tonight. My parents are coming over and we're all headed out to my son's band concert. I hope the memories of the delicious food thaid (get it, tide) me over until I'm free to shop again.
Except for we have a ton of food in the house.
I am in a dinner slump. I think it's because we've been so busy, I have been making things that are quick and easy and portable.
I cleaned and organized my front closet today . I keep extra food in there, stuff that maybe there was a good deal on, but I can't fit in my cabinets. I have 3 shelves and they're full. The cabinet I keep food in isn't full, but it's certainly not empty.
Yet, my family keeps asking when I'm going grocery shopping.
I have decided. I'm not.
I will go out and buy produce and other fresh items that we need, but other than that I am challenging my family to eat what we have.
Really, I'm challenging myself. I'm the one who is going to be googling what I can make with tomato soup and kidney beans. Kidney bean tomato soup for everyone! I have a feeling that this is going to go over like a lead balloon.
There's a reason I bought this food and I don't want to be wasteful and I'm not a doomsday prepper or an extreme coupon-er. I just want all this stuff out of here and we can make a fresh start.
My daughter will really be the one to fight it the most. She likes what she likes when she likes it, oh yes, sometimes she only likes things on certain days. I think I will adopt my father-in-law's rule to get me through this. "This is what's for dinner, if you don't like it, make yourself a peanut butter sandwich and go to bed." I may be more lenient on the "go to bed" part.
My son will pretty much eat whatever we put in front of him. He's really going to be helpful in the coming weeks.
So what do you think? Will we make it? How long before I'm sick of my own challenge?
All this being said, we are ordering Thai food tonight. My parents are coming over and we're all headed out to my son's band concert. I hope the memories of the delicious food thaid (get it, tide) me over until I'm free to shop again.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
1,000 Words
I am exhausted. My daughter had her dress rehearsal for dance followed by a rush across town for her softball game.
In between activities, I was thinking how I love how well-rounded she is and how it's all going so fast.
Since I'm too tired to be clever, here's some pictures from when her brother was away and we had some time just with her. Supposedly, they're worth a thousand words...
In between activities, I was thinking how I love how well-rounded she is and how it's all going so fast.
Since I'm too tired to be clever, here's some pictures from when her brother was away and we had some time just with her. Supposedly, they're worth a thousand words...
Monday, June 4, 2012
Oh-ee-yeah.. Oh-ee-yoh...
I am spiraling out of control.
I am in a complete tailspin and not the fun kind where Baloo the Bear and friends help me out of a crazy jam.
I know this is a crazy time of year, I spend most Sundays getting my ducks in a row and making sure I am prepared for the week ahead.
Then I get an email that changes my entire schedule.
I would love to say that I calmly take a deep breath and think, "OK, challenge, I accept you and we're going to get through this together."
That is not the case. I immediately deem the change impossible. It's as if someone has pulled the rug out from underneath me. My mind can't even accept the change, it's like my entire body rejects the new information.
I know this seems like a dramatic reaction, but I can't help it! As much as I try to be laid back and relaxed about life, I just don't handle this aspect very well at all.
I literally say out loud to myself, "OK Jenn, let's not freak out." This is usually after I've already freaked out. So, not so helpful.
Unfortunately, anyone who comes across me in panic mode is subjected to me attempting trying to wrap my head around how I have to rearrange everything. It's not a pretty sight. There's shock and denial, guilt, anger, bargaining, depression, wait, this is starting to sound like the stages of grief. I guess it kind of is. I am grieving over the loss of my beautifully planned week.
A lot of my aggravation comes from disappointment. For instance, this week, I thought that we were all going to be able to watch my daughter's last softball game. This season has been saturated (literally) with cancellations due to weather. Between that and every one's busy schedule, I think all 4 of us have been to 2 of her games. To clarify, I've been at all of them, but it's been near impossible for all four of us to be there together.
Unfortunately, her brother's baseball season has suffered as well, so now there is a make-up game scheduled for the same time as her last game. So that means once again, we have to divide and conquer. I know this isn't life altering, but it is disappointing, we like to root each other on.
I have managed to rework the schedule, all my ducks are lined up....however, I think I'll check my email just in case.
I am in a complete tailspin and not the fun kind where Baloo the Bear and friends help me out of a crazy jam.
I know this is a crazy time of year, I spend most Sundays getting my ducks in a row and making sure I am prepared for the week ahead.
Then I get an email that changes my entire schedule.
I would love to say that I calmly take a deep breath and think, "OK, challenge, I accept you and we're going to get through this together."
That is not the case. I immediately deem the change impossible. It's as if someone has pulled the rug out from underneath me. My mind can't even accept the change, it's like my entire body rejects the new information.
I know this seems like a dramatic reaction, but I can't help it! As much as I try to be laid back and relaxed about life, I just don't handle this aspect very well at all.
I literally say out loud to myself, "OK Jenn, let's not freak out." This is usually after I've already freaked out. So, not so helpful.
Unfortunately, anyone who comes across me in panic mode is subjected to me attempting trying to wrap my head around how I have to rearrange everything. It's not a pretty sight. There's shock and denial, guilt, anger, bargaining, depression, wait, this is starting to sound like the stages of grief. I guess it kind of is. I am grieving over the loss of my beautifully planned week.
A lot of my aggravation comes from disappointment. For instance, this week, I thought that we were all going to be able to watch my daughter's last softball game. This season has been saturated (literally) with cancellations due to weather. Between that and every one's busy schedule, I think all 4 of us have been to 2 of her games. To clarify, I've been at all of them, but it's been near impossible for all four of us to be there together.
Unfortunately, her brother's baseball season has suffered as well, so now there is a make-up game scheduled for the same time as her last game. So that means once again, we have to divide and conquer. I know this isn't life altering, but it is disappointing, we like to root each other on.
I have managed to rework the schedule, all my ducks are lined up....however, I think I'll check my email just in case.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Smotherhood
So last week was a big deal.
A big deal for me.
My son took his first trip without us, and according to my anxiety levels, this was a very big deal.
Just when I think I've got this parenting thing down, my parents inform me that for my son's 13th birthday , they would like to plan a trip with him. On every level, this is a wonderful, generous and amazing idea. So why does it feel like someone is ripping my heart out?
They decided on The Grand Canyon. Once plans came together, the three of them would be landing in Las Vegas, driving to The Hoover Dam, and then off to The Grand Canyon. They would then head back to Vegas, go to The Gold and Silver Pawn Shop ( from Pawn Stars on TV, my son loves that show) and see The Blue Man Group. Amazing trip, I was jealous!
I took my son aside at the beginning of the week and told him that no matter how I was acting emotionally, I was freaking the f*&% out thrilled for him. I knew he would be safe and have the trip of a lifetime. I told him that even though I knew it would be fine, it was still the first time and it was a milestone I had to go through. I assured him that there would be many other milestones I would be freaking out about, so by the time he gets married he'll be immune to it.
To make things a little more complicated, my husband was away for work. I originally thought that I wouldn't have been as emotional if he had been home, but I think we all know that's not the case. I actually think I was a little stronger, if he had been here, he would have been strong and I would have been completely free to fall apart.
I also didn't want him to see me upset when he was leaving. I was actually really proud of how I was handling myself when my dad came to pick him up, I didn't count on my sweet sentimental daughter sending me over the edge.
She had been so sweet to him all week. She was so excited for him. Then as he was about to get in the car with my dad, she says, "Goodbye J, I'll always remember how much I love you."
It was sincere and sweet, but had this "final" vibe around it that tapped into the deepest darkest fears I had been stuffing down all week. I felt the lump in my throat, tears welling up...this was going to get ugly.
I think she knew. I don't know how, at 7, you could know, but I think even she knew that it sounded sad and final. She turned around, eyes big and filling with tears the second I picked her up she broke down.
We hastily waved goodbye to my dad and son and I took her in to comfort her. She cried for such a long time. I guess the good thing was, I knew exactly how she felt. I didn't have to reassure her too much , I just had to let her cry it out until all the anxiety went away.
It also put me in the position of being the strong one. Imagine that.
Now that he's home and I've heard how amazing the trip was, it seems like a lifetime ago that I was all worked up about this. I knew I could do it, but I still had to get through it. Hmmm, that sounds a little Suess-y, but you get what I mean.
A big deal for me.
My son took his first trip without us, and according to my anxiety levels, this was a very big deal.
Just when I think I've got this parenting thing down, my parents inform me that for my son's 13th birthday , they would like to plan a trip with him. On every level, this is a wonderful, generous and amazing idea. So why does it feel like someone is ripping my heart out?
They decided on The Grand Canyon. Once plans came together, the three of them would be landing in Las Vegas, driving to The Hoover Dam, and then off to The Grand Canyon. They would then head back to Vegas, go to The Gold and Silver Pawn Shop ( from Pawn Stars on TV, my son loves that show) and see The Blue Man Group. Amazing trip, I was jealous!
I took my son aside at the beginning of the week and told him that no matter how I was acting emotionally, I was
To make things a little more complicated, my husband was away for work. I originally thought that I wouldn't have been as emotional if he had been home, but I think we all know that's not the case. I actually think I was a little stronger, if he had been here, he would have been strong and I would have been completely free to fall apart.
I also didn't want him to see me upset when he was leaving. I was actually really proud of how I was handling myself when my dad came to pick him up, I didn't count on my sweet sentimental daughter sending me over the edge.
She had been so sweet to him all week. She was so excited for him. Then as he was about to get in the car with my dad, she says, "Goodbye J, I'll always remember how much I love you."
It was sincere and sweet, but had this "final" vibe around it that tapped into the deepest darkest fears I had been stuffing down all week. I felt the lump in my throat, tears welling up...this was going to get ugly.
I think she knew. I don't know how, at 7, you could know, but I think even she knew that it sounded sad and final. She turned around, eyes big and filling with tears the second I picked her up she broke down.
We hastily waved goodbye to my dad and son and I took her in to comfort her. She cried for such a long time. I guess the good thing was, I knew exactly how she felt. I didn't have to reassure her too much , I just had to let her cry it out until all the anxiety went away.
It also put me in the position of being the strong one. Imagine that.
Now that he's home and I've heard how amazing the trip was, it seems like a lifetime ago that I was all worked up about this. I knew I could do it, but I still had to get through it. Hmmm, that sounds a little Suess-y, but you get what I mean.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Minivan Confessions
There are many reasons why I did not want a minivan.
Then I sat in one , drove one, and fell in love. The 3rd seat folds into the floor people! I don't care if it looks uncool, I can pack ANYTHING in there. I can give anyone rides to places. Also, I'm 38, a mom of 2 and I really don't give a crap if my car is cool or not.
When we first got Ol' Blue, my daughter sat in the second row, which was nice enough to have built in car seats, and my son always headed for the third row. When he was in the third row, he was in his own world. It's really hard to hear back there, and vice versa, its hard for me to hear him from the front.
I kind of missed him a little, but since he's turned 13 and is allowed to sit in the front seat, I've been spending a little more time with him. When he gets home from school, I usually ask the normal questions, "How was your day?", " Did anything fun and exciting happen today?" For some reason, I have not found the greatest time to ask these questions. I have tried right after school , when everything is fresh in his mind, or later in the day when he's had some time to relax a little. I get the standard, "good" or "nothing". Ah well.
However, since the front seat ban was lifted, I have noticed that he just offers up information all on his own. It's great, I'm not pulling it out of him, he's just telling me the highlights or low lights of his day. We've had some great conversations, sometimes it's about school issues, sometimes its about Star Wars. I love them all.
My daughter has also been taking advantage of minivan confession time. When it's just her and I and it's quiet, she'll let me know her concerns and fears. It's really an amazing thing because my daughter seems so sure of herself and confident, I was really taken aback when I realized that she actually has a lot of anxiety.
She has recently shared with me that she stresses out about each and every paper that she does in school. She is so worried that she might get something wrong. I was shocked. We are so laid back about grades (she's in first grade!) and as far as I knew , we weren't putting any pressure on her to be the best or perfect.
I asked her if she felt pressure from us and she said "no." I asked her why she felt so nervous about getting something wrong, told her that mistakes are how we learn, and reassured her that we are always proud of her as long as she's learning, it's not about the grade, it's about learning.
Her reply, "Mom, you should know by now, I like to do things and I like to be good at them."
Busted! I do know this about her, but for some reason I had only applied it to physical things, like dance, riding a bike, softball, etc. It hadn't occurred to me that she was like this about everything. See? She even wants to be good at parenting herself.
Though I think that this work ethic will serve her well in life, I hate that at 7 she's putting so much pressure on herself. She appears so happy and carefree all the time, as a mom, it hurts to think she's struggling and anxious on the inside.
I think our minivan chats help her. I almost want to take a "Hey Baby, school is groovy, who cares about grades?" attitude with her. (When reading that quote, you should probably use Shaggy's voice from Scooby-Doo, it helps), but I know it's just going to take time until she's comfortable and confident. I almost can't wait until she maybe gets a bad grade on something and learns it's not the end of the world, is that wrong?
I know someday, I will say goodbye to the minivan, but I will always cherish all the wonderful wonderful talks I have had with my kids in there and I will never regret becoming a suburban stereotype.
Then I sat in one , drove one, and fell in love. The 3rd seat folds into the floor people! I don't care if it looks uncool, I can pack ANYTHING in there. I can give anyone rides to places. Also, I'm 38, a mom of 2 and I really don't give a crap if my car is cool or not.
When we first got Ol' Blue, my daughter sat in the second row, which was nice enough to have built in car seats, and my son always headed for the third row. When he was in the third row, he was in his own world. It's really hard to hear back there, and vice versa, its hard for me to hear him from the front.
I kind of missed him a little, but since he's turned 13 and is allowed to sit in the front seat, I've been spending a little more time with him. When he gets home from school, I usually ask the normal questions, "How was your day?", " Did anything fun and exciting happen today?" For some reason, I have not found the greatest time to ask these questions. I have tried right after school , when everything is fresh in his mind, or later in the day when he's had some time to relax a little. I get the standard, "good" or "nothing". Ah well.
However, since the front seat ban was lifted, I have noticed that he just offers up information all on his own. It's great, I'm not pulling it out of him, he's just telling me the highlights or low lights of his day. We've had some great conversations, sometimes it's about school issues, sometimes its about Star Wars. I love them all.
My daughter has also been taking advantage of minivan confession time. When it's just her and I and it's quiet, she'll let me know her concerns and fears. It's really an amazing thing because my daughter seems so sure of herself and confident, I was really taken aback when I realized that she actually has a lot of anxiety.
She has recently shared with me that she stresses out about each and every paper that she does in school. She is so worried that she might get something wrong. I was shocked. We are so laid back about grades (she's in first grade!) and as far as I knew , we weren't putting any pressure on her to be the best or perfect.
I asked her if she felt pressure from us and she said "no." I asked her why she felt so nervous about getting something wrong, told her that mistakes are how we learn, and reassured her that we are always proud of her as long as she's learning, it's not about the grade, it's about learning.
Her reply, "Mom, you should know by now, I like to do things and I like to be good at them."
Busted! I do know this about her, but for some reason I had only applied it to physical things, like dance, riding a bike, softball, etc. It hadn't occurred to me that she was like this about everything. See? She even wants to be good at parenting herself.
Though I think that this work ethic will serve her well in life, I hate that at 7 she's putting so much pressure on herself. She appears so happy and carefree all the time, as a mom, it hurts to think she's struggling and anxious on the inside.
I think our minivan chats help her. I almost want to take a "Hey Baby, school is groovy, who cares about grades?" attitude with her. (When reading that quote, you should probably use Shaggy's voice from Scooby-Doo, it helps), but I know it's just going to take time until she's comfortable and confident. I almost can't wait until she maybe gets a bad grade on something and learns it's not the end of the world, is that wrong?
I know someday, I will say goodbye to the minivan, but I will always cherish all the wonderful wonderful talks I have had with my kids in there and I will never regret becoming a suburban stereotype.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Apologies
So sorry I didn't write more this week. It was an overwhelming week for me.
I am happy to say I survived it and will definitely be writing about it next week after a much needed long weekend with my family.
I hope you all have a wonderful kick off to summer weekend!!
I am happy to say I survived it and will definitely be writing about it next week after a much needed long weekend with my family.
I hope you all have a wonderful kick off to summer weekend!!
Monday, May 21, 2012
Tears Of A Clown
I have a weakness for comedians.
I am attracted to funny, I always have been. Making me laugh is the way to my heart.
Most of my celebrity crushes are on funny men.
As most "True Hollywood" stories go, comedians tend to be a little messed up. You know, they use the humor as a way to cope with their problems, which leads to success and trouble.
So, since I am a happily married woman, and I have no plans on becoming a celebrity stalker, I tend to worry about these funny men.
I love Alec Baldwin, I hate some of the things he's done, like the infamous phone call he made to his daughter, but I have such a weakness for him. There's a scene in "It's Complicated" where he makes the saddest face, it makes me cry every time. I feel like in that moment he's not acting, he's definitely reflecting on something. It's the dumbest thing really, but I'm a worrier, its what I do.
This past Saturday, "Saturday Night Live" aired its season finale. At the end, they did a little musical goodbye number to say goodbye to Kristen Wiig. I was so distracted by Jason Sudeikis throughout the entire thing. He looked devastated. I know there are rumors that he won't be returning next year. so I thought he may have been emotional at first. As the number went on he faded further and further to the back and just looked miserable.
The thing is, it's two days later and I'm still worried about him. Nothing short of him releasing a statement saying, "Got emotional the other night, everything's great though." will ease my mind. We had just recently watched an episode of "Who Do You Think You Are" that featured him and his family history. It was so sweet to watch him interact with his dad on the show. I think that's why it keeps making me think of him.
I will admit to actually "Googling" about this and I was pleased to see that I was not the only one who noticed (despite what my hubby thought lol.) A lot of people saw the same thing and I was so glad I wasn't alone. This person broke it all down and even had theories. It's just comforting to know I wasn't the only one who noticed.
Anyway, that's what's on my mind today. I swear I'm not a crazy stalker. Really, I'm not.
I am attracted to funny, I always have been. Making me laugh is the way to my heart.
Most of my celebrity crushes are on funny men.
As most "True Hollywood" stories go, comedians tend to be a little messed up. You know, they use the humor as a way to cope with their problems, which leads to success and trouble.
So, since I am a happily married woman, and I have no plans on becoming a celebrity stalker, I tend to worry about these funny men.
I love Alec Baldwin, I hate some of the things he's done, like the infamous phone call he made to his daughter, but I have such a weakness for him. There's a scene in "It's Complicated" where he makes the saddest face, it makes me cry every time. I feel like in that moment he's not acting, he's definitely reflecting on something. It's the dumbest thing really, but I'm a worrier, its what I do.
This past Saturday, "Saturday Night Live" aired its season finale. At the end, they did a little musical goodbye number to say goodbye to Kristen Wiig. I was so distracted by Jason Sudeikis throughout the entire thing. He looked devastated. I know there are rumors that he won't be returning next year. so I thought he may have been emotional at first. As the number went on he faded further and further to the back and just looked miserable.
The thing is, it's two days later and I'm still worried about him. Nothing short of him releasing a statement saying, "Got emotional the other night, everything's great though." will ease my mind. We had just recently watched an episode of "Who Do You Think You Are" that featured him and his family history. It was so sweet to watch him interact with his dad on the show. I think that's why it keeps making me think of him.
I will admit to actually "Googling" about this and I was pleased to see that I was not the only one who noticed (despite what my hubby thought lol.) A lot of people saw the same thing and I was so glad I wasn't alone. This person broke it all down and even had theories. It's just comforting to know I wasn't the only one who noticed.
Anyway, that's what's on my mind today. I swear I'm not a crazy stalker. Really, I'm not.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
That's Not My Name
Some days I am not sure why I bothered to name my children.
In our family we use nicknames. A lot.
We made a list last night and my daughter wins. We realized that she has about 20 nicknames that we use for her, depending on the situation.
Most of the nicknames have nothing at all to do with her name. We most commonly refer to her as Lulu. From Lulu, there are many variations. There is Lew, Lewis, Lewbert Q. Jones, Lou Bamboo and Lewis Bamboo-iss.
When she is particularly clumsy, she is Mary-Katherine Gallagher. When she gets out of the tub, she puts her hair in a towel wrap and calls herself Tiny Punjab.( I assure you , this is purely innocent and named after a character from Annie, a movie we love) Her brother calls her Mavis-Bavis when she's being difficult and Little Mommy when she's being ..well, a little mommy.
My son's nicknames are mostly name related. for those of you who know him, we add "attack" and "a-roni and cheese" to his name. I also call him Doodle, which I think he's starting to feel like he's outgrown.
When I was pregnant, we called my son Yolkie, we called my daughter Wormie. We all have code names too. Most of the names are from old movies. My husband is Chappy Sinclair, I am Fanny Skeffington, my son is Boots Malone and my daughter is Sassafrass Jones.
It's so funny to me that we use these names all the time, it's just normal for us. Sometimes when we're out and about, a nickname slips out and it's so funny to see people react. I once I called my daughter Lewie at a soccer game and people assumed her name was Louise. After telling them her real name, I got that look, its just to hard to explain.
There's an ice cream place in town called "Swirls and Scoops" and my husband and daughter always joke that it's called "Scoops and Poops" which has now somehow become the name of their detective team with my husband taking the name Scoops and leaving my daughter to be Poops. They think it's hilarious.
I come from a family of nicknamers. My dad hasn't called my mom by her real name in years, we used to call my sister "Bean" and even my dog had nicknames. My husband used to make up nicknames for himself (which is where I think my daughter gets it, they are so alike!) I've heard stories of him telling his family that they were to call him "Sonny" from now on after watching a Burt Reynolds movie and I believe he also gave himself the name Kid Celsius.
I hope my kids will continue to love their nicknames and I am keeping the list we made so that someday I can look back and see what a bunch of goofballs we were.
In our family we use nicknames. A lot.
We made a list last night and my daughter wins. We realized that she has about 20 nicknames that we use for her, depending on the situation.
Most of the nicknames have nothing at all to do with her name. We most commonly refer to her as Lulu. From Lulu, there are many variations. There is Lew, Lewis, Lewbert Q. Jones, Lou Bamboo and Lewis Bamboo-iss.
When she is particularly clumsy, she is Mary-Katherine Gallagher. When she gets out of the tub, she puts her hair in a towel wrap and calls herself Tiny Punjab.( I assure you , this is purely innocent and named after a character from Annie, a movie we love) Her brother calls her Mavis-Bavis when she's being difficult and Little Mommy when she's being ..well, a little mommy.
My son's nicknames are mostly name related. for those of you who know him, we add "attack" and "a-roni and cheese" to his name. I also call him Doodle, which I think he's starting to feel like he's outgrown.
When I was pregnant, we called my son Yolkie, we called my daughter Wormie. We all have code names too. Most of the names are from old movies. My husband is Chappy Sinclair, I am Fanny Skeffington, my son is Boots Malone and my daughter is Sassafrass Jones.
It's so funny to me that we use these names all the time, it's just normal for us. Sometimes when we're out and about, a nickname slips out and it's so funny to see people react. I once I called my daughter Lewie at a soccer game and people assumed her name was Louise. After telling them her real name, I got that look, its just to hard to explain.
There's an ice cream place in town called "Swirls and Scoops" and my husband and daughter always joke that it's called "Scoops and Poops" which has now somehow become the name of their detective team with my husband taking the name Scoops and leaving my daughter to be Poops. They think it's hilarious.
I come from a family of nicknamers. My dad hasn't called my mom by her real name in years, we used to call my sister "Bean" and even my dog had nicknames. My husband used to make up nicknames for himself (which is where I think my daughter gets it, they are so alike!) I've heard stories of him telling his family that they were to call him "Sonny" from now on after watching a Burt Reynolds movie and I believe he also gave himself the name Kid Celsius.
I hope my kids will continue to love their nicknames and I am keeping the list we made so that someday I can look back and see what a bunch of goofballs we were.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Cool It Now
Ugh.
I completely lost my cool yesterday.
I hate when that happens.
My son made a mistake yesterday. A big one. He opened the door when he was home alone. He knew who was on the other side, however, this is a huge no-no.
On the other side was "Eddie Haskell". I really don't want to get into all the details on this kid, but lets just say, we have tried, VERY HARD, to cut all ties with him.
So, my son opened the door, while he was home alone , to someone we have avoided like the plague and basically made it so that I would have to get involved with this kid again.
I freaked out.
I do not like to yell. I yelled.
I do not like to threaten. I threatened. (Not physical harm, things like "no video games ever again" and "grounded for life")
When I was finally able to get over my anger, I was able to explain to my son that my anger came from fear. Granted Eddie Haskell is not a threat to my son, but what if it wasn't him.
His reply was that he looked out the windows on the side of the door and knew who it was. I came at him with, "What if it had been anyone else? What was your plan? You have totally given yourself away by peeking out the window, what would you have done if someone had been there asking if your mom was home!!" This was all said in some sort of high pitched voice that was almost unrecognizable.
Regarding the Eddie Haskell situation, I made my son make an awkward and uncomfortable phone call, he actually thanked me for making him do it. I think he learned something about sticking up for himself and handling an uneasy situation. He told me that he was happy he did it and even though it was hard, it wasn't as bad as he thought.
I was so proud of him and yet still so disappointed about the whole "opening the door" incident.
After venting to my husband, we decided that making the phone call took care of the situation, but we could not let the door opening go. He is not allowed to stay home alone anymore until he earns our trust again. This means he'll have to tag along to his sister's dance classes, can't stay back when I need to pop over to the grocery store, and yes, he may even have to accompany me to the ...gasp! ...craft store.
I really think a week or so of this will drive the point home. He really does feel bad.
So do I. I really wish when something like this happens, I was able to calm myself and have a rational discussion, but when something seems unsafe and scares me, I react. I'm human, I guess it's ok.
I called a good friend about the incident and she actually congratulated me (she knows my history of not yelling). She told me that sometimes our kids need to know how serious something is.
My son is totally fine with everything , we had a nice follow-up discussion about everything today. He seems to be handling it all and hopefully I'll be able to do the same.
I completely lost my cool yesterday.
I hate when that happens.
My son made a mistake yesterday. A big one. He opened the door when he was home alone. He knew who was on the other side, however, this is a huge no-no.
On the other side was "Eddie Haskell". I really don't want to get into all the details on this kid, but lets just say, we have tried, VERY HARD, to cut all ties with him.
So, my son opened the door, while he was home alone , to someone we have avoided like the plague and basically made it so that I would have to get involved with this kid again.
I freaked out.
I do not like to yell. I yelled.
I do not like to threaten. I threatened. (Not physical harm, things like "no video games ever again" and "grounded for life")
When I was finally able to get over my anger, I was able to explain to my son that my anger came from fear. Granted Eddie Haskell is not a threat to my son, but what if it wasn't him.
His reply was that he looked out the windows on the side of the door and knew who it was. I came at him with, "What if it had been anyone else? What was your plan? You have totally given yourself away by peeking out the window, what would you have done if someone had been there asking if your mom was home!!" This was all said in some sort of high pitched voice that was almost unrecognizable.
Regarding the Eddie Haskell situation, I made my son make an awkward and uncomfortable phone call, he actually thanked me for making him do it. I think he learned something about sticking up for himself and handling an uneasy situation. He told me that he was happy he did it and even though it was hard, it wasn't as bad as he thought.
I was so proud of him and yet still so disappointed about the whole "opening the door" incident.
After venting to my husband, we decided that making the phone call took care of the situation, but we could not let the door opening go. He is not allowed to stay home alone anymore until he earns our trust again. This means he'll have to tag along to his sister's dance classes, can't stay back when I need to pop over to the grocery store, and yes, he may even have to accompany me to the ...gasp! ...craft store.
I really think a week or so of this will drive the point home. He really does feel bad.
So do I. I really wish when something like this happens, I was able to calm myself and have a rational discussion, but when something seems unsafe and scares me, I react. I'm human, I guess it's ok.
I called a good friend about the incident and she actually congratulated me (she knows my history of not yelling). She told me that sometimes our kids need to know how serious something is.
My son is totally fine with everything , we had a nice follow-up discussion about everything today. He seems to be handling it all and hopefully I'll be able to do the same.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
A Mother Of A Day
This Mother's day may have been my favorite.
After a hectic week, I think we all needed a fantastic day.
We got one.
I woke up, we had a nice morning, coffee, breakfast and a few gifts.
The kids got me some new fancy flip-flops and Just Dance 3 for the PS3. I guess when they all went shopping together, the kids were certain that I would love the game. My husband wasn't so sure and kept the receipt handy just in case. I was thrilled. Some of the songs are hilarious and so much fun to dance to. We spent some time dancing to a few of our favorites and then I was told to go and get ready.
We all jumped in the car and we were off...to Maine!
I guess the kids didn't know where we were going either, so it was super exciting when they realized where we were.
We did a little shopping, then had a yummy lunch at Bob's Clam Hut. I have been going there since I was a little girl, but I never got anything "seafood" there until I was an adult. It's such a tradition for us to go there, I love that we are sharing that with our kids.
Then, we drove up to the beach. It's so nice to be up there on a nice day before the parking meters are running and everything is busy and crowded. We set up near a small river area and my kids ran around like lunatics.
My husband had brought a kite and a frisbee and we had lots of fun and laughs attempting to be good at both. It was so breezy that if you didn't catch the frisbee, it would roll and roll in all sorts of crazy directions and circles. It was so funny watching the kids chase after it. ( Yes, the kids..the parents knew to conserve their energy)
After we had enough sun and sand we headed back towards the outlets. I'm not much of a shopper, but I did manage to get a couple of things. The kids were so good the whole time. I didn't want to push my luck, so we decided that it was probably time to head home.
We were still content from our lunch, but knew we'd be getting hungry. My husband suggested ice cream for dinner. The kids and I may have actually applauded the idea. We sat and had our ice cream, my husband went and grabbed a couple of coffees for he and I and we all commented that even though it had just been a handful of hours and a small distance from home, it felt like we had just taken a vacation
It was exactly what we all needed. I will remember it always.
Perfection.
After a hectic week, I think we all needed a fantastic day.
We got one.
I woke up, we had a nice morning, coffee, breakfast and a few gifts.
The kids got me some new fancy flip-flops and Just Dance 3 for the PS3. I guess when they all went shopping together, the kids were certain that I would love the game. My husband wasn't so sure and kept the receipt handy just in case. I was thrilled. Some of the songs are hilarious and so much fun to dance to. We spent some time dancing to a few of our favorites and then I was told to go and get ready.
We all jumped in the car and we were off...to Maine!
I guess the kids didn't know where we were going either, so it was super exciting when they realized where we were.
We did a little shopping, then had a yummy lunch at Bob's Clam Hut. I have been going there since I was a little girl, but I never got anything "seafood" there until I was an adult. It's such a tradition for us to go there, I love that we are sharing that with our kids.
Then, we drove up to the beach. It's so nice to be up there on a nice day before the parking meters are running and everything is busy and crowded. We set up near a small river area and my kids ran around like lunatics.
My husband had brought a kite and a frisbee and we had lots of fun and laughs attempting to be good at both. It was so breezy that if you didn't catch the frisbee, it would roll and roll in all sorts of crazy directions and circles. It was so funny watching the kids chase after it. ( Yes, the kids..the parents knew to conserve their energy)
After we had enough sun and sand we headed back towards the outlets. I'm not much of a shopper, but I did manage to get a couple of things. The kids were so good the whole time. I didn't want to push my luck, so we decided that it was probably time to head home.
We were still content from our lunch, but knew we'd be getting hungry. My husband suggested ice cream for dinner. The kids and I may have actually applauded the idea. We sat and had our ice cream, my husband went and grabbed a couple of coffees for he and I and we all commented that even though it had just been a handful of hours and a small distance from home, it felt like we had just taken a vacation
It was exactly what we all needed. I will remember it always.
Perfection.
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