our crazy little world. read on if you dare. i promise you'll giggle.

We Three

We Three

Thursday, September 22, 2011

well. she's five.

Eileen and I, in the car, leaving the Mall after she'd gotten her ears pierced. 


Eileen:  Mommy. Ashlyn told me that when they put that gun  with the earrings up to my ear that it would hurt. 
Me: mmm-hmm. 
Eileen: Well, actually, .... (wait for it)... she was right.


Cue me cracking up; as I completely expected her to save one up Ashlyn (as 5year olds do these days) and say that it hadn't hurt at all!


I have a five year old. Repeat. I have a five year old. Repeat. I have a five year old.


Most days I still don't quite feel like a Mom. like, I'm still me. but I have this kid. And she's FIVE. how'd that happen? where did the last five years go? Why don't I remember them? (Then again, I don't remember what I wore yesterday.. so this shouldn't be a shock to me). 


 As far as birthdays go, I'd say this girl had one of the best ever. She woke up to some Twinkle Toes from Josh and Sarah. Aunt Sissy, Bill and I went to school in the afternoon with cupcakes for the kiddos. (At one point she'd wanted cookies..which are my specialty.. but seeing as how cupcakes are way easier and faster to make.. I had Josh trick her into cupcakes by offering PURPLE frosting.  I even figured out all by myself to combine blue & red to make Purple.)


After the Cupcake Chaos, Eileen came back to the office with me. I had a surprise in my purse for her. Gum. Yep. Gum. Her reaction would be about what mine would be if someone offered me a free for all shopping trip to Tiffany's. Several years ago we'd arbitrarily chosen age 5 as the time when she would be allowed gum. Pretty sure she's been counting down the days for the past 730 days. She was presented with Trident Bubble Gum and Trident Orange Burst. She chewed roughly 8 pieces of the pink stuff in a four hour period.  During which we had serious discussions about how we don't smack our gum or chew it like a cow. I'm not entirely sure that sunk in until I told her Grandpa would yell at her if she smacked. (not that Grandpa actually ever yells at the Perfect Grandchild). 


Upon arrival at Uncle Scripps house she beebopped around in the seizure inducing shoes. And then promptly settled down next to Mommy to watch her new Barbie movie (groan) on one of my monitor's while I worked on the other. 

And then, when she could stand it no longer, we finally left. For the Mall. Where the ears would be pierced. As is the usual with our crazy little family, all four of us were at Claire's for the event. I'm pretty sure the poor guy piercing her lobes was more flabbergasted by four parents and three cameras and one little girl not the least bit phased. Eileen had already decided on Hello Kitty starter earrings (which Ashlyn and Bella both have). She sat in that chair brave as I've ever seen.  Pretty sure she really wanted to cry after the first ear, but she just held her breath and clamped her mouth shut. Also possible she cut off the circulation to Josh's hand she was holding. 


 We then had a group lesson on how to clean the earrings. Bill and Josh mysteriously disappeared to other parts of the store. Perhaps they needed some bling? Sarah & I will soon have doctorate's in cleanings of new ear holes. 


Just in time for a small monsoon, we all headed out to dinner. The birthday girl insistsed  on McDonald's for her dinner. 


 Thankfully, Daddy had already figured that one out. She sat and ate her Happy Meal while the Parentals chowed on Pizza at Brixx. yumm. Oh, and there was an amazing Birthday Rainbow just out the window. Not an awful end to one heck of a day for the Monkey. 


So there ya go. We have a five year old. It's pretty crazy to fathom.


Tomorrow she'll come back to me and Bill's, where her room will be newly painted (and even wallpaper on one wall!) and of course the new bunkbeds. And Grandpa and Beanie will be here. And of course, the party with friends on Saturday. Is it wrong that I want her life!?








I'd say that about covers it for today. Happy Birthday to one heck of a kid. She brings an immense amount of joy to our lives. We're blessed with a happy healthy kid. Not one of us takes that for granted. 









Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Tales from the Incredible Hulk.. or just me rambling.


 Hello friends..I'm sitting here blogging and watching new shows on TV and all the promos for all the other new shows about to start. YAY.  We haven't watched a ton of TV this year except old eps of Criminal Minds and series via Netflix.  It really doesn't seem possible that we've reached the end of summer.  It doesn't seem possible we've reached (almost) the end of September. It really doesn't seem possible that Eileen will be 5 years old tomorrow.  Wow. 




She may as well be 15.. last week we had a Saturday birthday at Chuck E. Cheese. And then she went to over to Sydney's house for a play date - Lani took E & S to the fair! Brave lady. They had a blast.  Eileen attempted to spend the night.. but a little after 10 we went to get her.  She got scared and wanted come home.  :)  




And the neeeeeext day we had a party at Build A Bear. You see her and her girls posing in this picture? The three of them are in PreK2 together, the only ones who stayed back, and no doubt they prance around like little Princesses (can you blame them!?)


So last week we were coming home from school. The parents had been given a survey about their children's habits (to guage ability/development, etc). Most questions revolved around the kids being able to dress themselves, entertain themselves, get along with others. There was  a brief section regarding potty habits.  Thankfully, Eileen exceeds in that area. Except.  Except for flushing.  She seems to have a mental block about flushing. At this point, I am fairly certain she's doing it just to annoy me. 


(it should be noted, when i was about her age, i was terrified to flush the toilet if it was night time. the toilet in the bathroom sissy and i shared sat right beneath a window. and i was convinced that when i flushed, the incredible hulk would come smashing through that window and get me. i'm not making that up. i mean how could i? i have very  distinct memories of it being middle of the night, me flushing, and hauling ass down the hall to the bedroom i shared with sissy, and launching myself onto my twin bed, just inside the door).  




So perhaps I somehow passed on this fear of flushing to my child?!
Anyway - now that you've stopped choking on your laughter about my Incredible Hulk issues, I'll tell you what Mini Me said.  



We're in the car and I'm telling her about this survey. I read her the one about "Does your child flush the toilet regularly?" ..
me: Eileen, I'll have to answer that one as "maybe."
eileen:  I know Mommy, but please can we just put yes?!?!?  


Oh we laughed. She knows to flush, she just wont!


Lulu came to visit a couple of weeks ago. It was her birthday. Megan had a doggie cake made... So Lulu and Gracie got to eat.  You see the nice cute sweet shot here of Lulu, delicately eating her cake.  Even letting Eileen hover. You notice there's no shot of Gracie and HER piece of cake. That would be because she literally ate it in one bite, well before I could even get the camera to my eyes.  Such a lady that one. 


 Of late, we've also been watching football. Football. And more football. I seriously can't get enough. College, High School. Pro.  I love it.  And of course baseball. As we quickly approach October - also known as playoffs - this Red Sox/Yankee household is, well, interesting. :)  I shall leave it at that until we see who lands where...




Eileen has been to the dentist - a ridiculously successful trip.  She has a new room at Josh and Sarah's house.. and as of Friday will have a new room here.  Pictures to post soon.. I can't wait! lets just say there are bunk beds and a pink chandelier involved. 


Tomorrow is her bday, and we'll be getting her ears pierced.  Grandpa and Beanie will be coming for her party. 


So, we haven't lacked for things to do.. and we certainly aren't lacking with upcoming activities.  At the very least.. I'll try to get pictures posted ASAP!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

twelve years.

I posted this two years ago. We're now at the twelve year mark. Some of you may have seen it two years ago.  

I read my original 'editor's note' below- where I talk about moving on and not dwelling. But in reality, I don't know if it is possible to do so. This day never fails to be gut-wrenching for me. It never fails to bring tears for me. It never fails to sit in the back of my mind every single day of my life.


The original 2010 post:
editors note: i wrote this several years ago.  i didn't really think i'd ever share it. but somehow today, ten years later, it seems like maybe i should.  i don't talk much about that day, and i probably won't talk much about it beyond this.  i will never forget, but i can't dwell either.  that is what the terrorists would want.  never forget, but try like hell to just keep going.  that day changed us all forever.  if you choose to think about it, to remember it.. then remember how it brought the country together, how it gave perspective, how it gave heroes. that's what the evil-doers dread.


There was a time when I liked danger. As in a roller coaster or sky diving. Or getting a tattoo or rappelling.  Or moving to NYC at age 22 with nothing but a college degree, a couple of connections, and parents who were willing to support me for a couple of months. It was fun and I was always up for taking on a challenge.

And then came 9/11.

I don’t talk about it much. When I’m here in TN, when the subject or that time of year comes up, I stay quiet.  I get that that day changed anyone who was old enough to know what happened. But no one who wasn’t in NYC or DC or PA will ever get what that day was like.  If I’m with a group that puts two and two together and realizes I did indeed live there then, they ask questions with a morbid curiosity. I get it, its human nature.  But I generally answer in the shortest way possible and then get the hell away from that conversation.

I was 25 years old. I was at the dentist, with a load of Novocain in the left side of my face. My appointment was finished and I went to check out. The receptionist told me that two planes had crashed into the Twin Towers.  I remember asking how the heck could that happen…how could you not see the Towers? I remember asking or assuming it was two small planes, like little Cessna’s or something. And she told me it was two jets.

And my stomach was on the floor. My sister & Josh’s offices were about 4 blocks from WTC.  I knew Josh was working from home that day on the Upper East Side but not my sister. This was all at about 9:15 ... moments after the 2nd plane had hit.  I booked it out of the office, in the mid-50s in Manhattan. Everyone was walking around trying to get cell service. I came flying around the corner on Madison Ave and froze. Looking South was nothing but the blackest smoke one can ever ever imagine. Filling the sky.

I remember getting to a payphone bc my cell wouldn’t work. I can’t believe there were even payphones still around. (and I remember that by that afternoon, somehow Bell Atlantic had made all the payphones free). My fingers were numb and I couldn’t find coins. Once I did, I kept dialing and dialing. All lines busy. I remember getting through one time to my sister, she had just made it to her office and they were frantic and leaving. And then we got cut off. She had had told me they were leaving and all they knew was that they had to head north. I got through to my mom in NC and said I had no idea what was going on but I was ok and was going to work.

GOING TO WORK? I look back now and wonder why in the hell I did that. But no one could fathom what the hell was going on. And we were supposed to shoot with Emeril on the next day, so I needed to get in to get that all finalized. Seems so surreal now to think I was concerned with an Emeril shoot.

And I walked the rest of the way to work. As did lots of other New Yorkers. We didn’t know what else to do. This was still before the planes had crashed in PA and DC. I remember standing outside the Fox News building, across the street from Food Network offices, and reading the red news ticker go across the building. Reading the ticker and then looking south and seeing smoke. It wasn’t clicking. It wasn’t real.

At work, most people were there. They were already on their way, and didn’t know what else to do.  So I started working. I was still moving forward with finalizing Emeril stuff. We all had TVs on and were listening and watching.  And I will never forget when one of the girls from Traffic screamed. The first tower had fallen. Incomprehensible. I don’t think my feet touched the floor when I went over to her desk.

And it was gone. The TV just showed this image that made no sense. That was the first time I cried. And was terrified. And of course the planes had hit PA and DC by now. We didn’t know if there were more coming. It was about this time the management started to send us home. I hadn’t talked to my sister in an hour and had no idea where she was. I couldn’t get through to my cousin who also worked in NYC (but lived in Jersey) but somehow got thru to my Aunt in MA. She had talked to him and knew he was already heading back to Jersey.  I somehow got through to Josh and told him I was coming home.  I remember I had talked to my dad. He’d told me to get water and cash. And I remember telling Josh to go get it since he was home.
When the first tower fell, it took the massive antenna with it that was the main cell service provider. There was virtually no cell service. And land lines were a mess. Subways had been shut down completely. Bridges were closed. Buses were running, but they were cram packed with people the officials were getting out of downtown.

So I walked. What’s funny to me is it was a gorgeous day. It was in the 70s, no humidity, clear blue sky.  It was about a 2 hour walk. And it was surreal. I remember being so glad I’d worn really comfy flip flops. I remember taxis parked on the curb, with their doors open and radios up all the way, so anyone walking by could get updates. Same thing with bars and restaurants. They had doors and windows thrown open. Most weren’t open for business yet, but people just stood in the doors and at the windows watching. At some point on my walk I was almost home, and I got through to Josh. He’d talked to my sister for only a second. We still had no idea where she was, but we knew she’d gotten out of downtown and was alive.

At one point, walking down the middle of First Ave.. there were no cars and there were so many people walking… we just spilled out onto the street. Throngs and throngs of people. I remember thinking it looked straight out of a movie.  And I remember a bus going past me. Heading North.  Packed with people. And as it passed me I just stared. There was a guy riding along the back. Literally standing on the bumper and just hanging on. One of those things that wouldn’t be written about. No one would ever hear about that guy. He’d probably been walking for hours from downtown and had a ways to go to get to the Bronx. I remember thinking it would have been funny if it were any other day. It would have been some whacked out New Yorker out for a thrill ride. But that day it was a desperate attempt to just get home. To safety. Even tho we all knew we’d never feel safe again. Not even at home.

And I finally got home. Opened the apt door. And was hit with the smell of unfinished wood. Bizarre right?  We had ordered an unfinished bar the weekend before, and arranged to have it delivered on the 11th. And it got delivered. The delivery truck was already almost to the apartment when everything had started to happen, so they just delivered it. It is still out on the back deck, and we’ll never get rid of it.

I remember hugging Josh. But still not freaking out. I remember being methodical. Like, I need to get in touch with so and so and so and so. More stuff about the shoot. That’s what I was concerned with. And I remember just trying to get in touch with family. Of all days.. all 4 of my parents were in different cities. My stepdad was in Atlanta, mom was home in NC. My dad was in CA, and my stepmom was home in Memphis. Josh had gotten several gallons of water. We were terrified the water supply would somehow be threatened.  And then we just sat there. But we couldn’t sit there. We didn’t want to be alone. We needed to be out in the street with everyone else. We were so scared, but wanted to be scared with everyone else.

So, odd as it might sound, we went to the Irish pub next door. And it was packed. And silent. Wall to wall with people drinking beer. No one was drunk. Everyone just sat there stone faced watching TV,  we got a table. And I remember I was starting to shake. And I sent Josh out for cigarettes. I hadn’t had one in a long time. That day, I didn’t give a shit. And I smoked and drank. We stayed there a couple of hours and then went home.

Sometime in that afternoon I had heard from Shannon. She and Angela had made it home, and they too went to their neighborhood bar. Looking back, I don’t know why we didn’t go down to her apartment. I really don’t. She saw much worse than me. She literally had to run through the streets, just going north to survive.

At some point my boss had somehow gotten thru to me to tell me the offices would be closed the next day. The day we were supposed to shoot with Emeril. And I remember having to cancel some VO sessions and the crew. Random crap like that.  I still have my notebook from that time.. I still have the page.. with my to do list that I’d written on Monday 9/10 for me to do the next day. I still go back and look at the random chicken scratch and phone numbers that I then was writing on 9/11. I will never throw it away.

I remember coming back to our apartment building. I guess it was early evening by now. We went up to the roof. We lived in a high rise. We took pictures of the smoke. There were fighter jets everywhere. Just circling Manhattan. Terrifying yet comforting. I remember there were already pictures up everywhere of missing people. We lived in a part of town where lots of young financial professionals lived. Lots of people who worked down there.

I don’t know how long we were home when we heard a knock at our door. It was my old roommate Opal and her boyfriend Eric. They too just didn’t want to be at home alone. So we all went to a bar down the street. I remember they were just doing happy hour prices all night. There was nothing happy about it. They just knew it was all they could do I guess. Bush had been president 9 mos. I couldn’t stand him. That night tho, I remember watching him on the big screen in that bar. You could have heard a pin drop. And that night, and that night ONLY, I liked him. I really did. If and when I tell people we went to a bar that night, most think I am the worst human on the planet. They don’t get that no one was there for a good time. Everyone was there bc everyone was terrified. Everyone was there bc they just needed reassurance that everyone else was just as scared. Everyone was there bc they just wanted to be with fellow New Yorkers. Everyone was there bc we knew no one, no one else, would ever ever understand. We had a couple of pitchers, and then we just went home.

I had nightmares that night. I had them for weeks. I still have them now. They are rare these days. But they will come, out of nowhere, and they are vivid. And horrible. I remember that first night my sister calling several times. Just so scared.  I remember waking up the next morning. Hoping it was just a big nightmare. And turning on the TV and knowing nothing more than we’d known the day before. We met my sister and her roommate for breakfast. We bought a NY Times and Daily News. I still have them. I remember we just walked the Upper East Side in a daze. That afternoon we got scared. We could smell smoke. We thought something else had happened. But no, it was the smoke working its way up Manhattan. Acrid. Burning. And I remember seeing Army vehicles. So many of them in a parade down 2nd Ave. HUGE trucks. They were going to start getting the debris. You know what else? I went to the gym that morning on 9/12. Ran on the treadmill. Cried the whole time. The gym was packed.

I remember my boss calling me to tell me we did have to work on Thursday. I remember contact with our parents being helter skelter bc there was still no cell service and land lines were locked up.

I remember Josh walking me to the bus that Thursday. I usually took the subway, but that day I wanted the bus. I was terrified of being stuck on a train underground. There was such paranoia that every single time someone coughed wrong, they stopped the trains and had the swat team there.

That day, that Thursday. I remember calling my vendors. About VO sessions and stuff. And we all felt so stupid. Who the hell cared about a VO? It seemed so asinine to have to even worry about it.

That Saturday me, Shannon, Josh, her roommate, I think David, and another friend went down to the site. We have pictures. Pictures of bombed out mail trucks still just sitting on the street. Pictures of firefighters changing shifts. Covered in that gray dust. And crowds cheering for them. So thankful for them. And scared for them.  And proud for them.

One of our producers at the time lived a few blocks away from the towers. She had dbeta tapes in her apt that day. When she finally made it back to work a couple of weeks later, the tapes still had the dust on them.

There are so many things about that time in NYC that no one knows. Except those of us that were there. For the next 6 mos, no one was ever ever to work on time. You’d get stuck on a train for hours. Just waiting for the next threat to be cleared.  Seeing cops with massive guns became the norm. I mean- like AK 47s. There was a plane crash about 6 weeks later at JFK. We heard the news come on, and we froze. I was at work. And I immediately started crying. We all did. We were convinced it was happening again.  It turned out to be a freak accident. Everyone on board died. It was gut wrenching.

Early that November – at least 8 weeks later- I had a shoot downtown. About three blocks from the site. And I remember the smoke still being so thick. So prevalent. When I got home that night, it smelled like I’d been at a campfire for hours. I still can smell it in my mind.

I remember one morning that December. Watching the Today Show while I got ready for work. And I froze. Matt Lauer was doing a story about purple ties and how they were the current trend in men’s fashion. I am sure one wonders why that story made me freeze. It was the first time in months that there was a story NOT about 9/11 on the Today Show. It was the first fluff, who-really-cares-story, that was covered in the news. The first sign that maybe, just maybe some sort of normalcy would return to our life as we knew it.

Somehow, I knew no one personally that died that day. There were friends of friends – too many too count. But I did not know anyone personally. Nor did Josh, Shannon or David.

It was July 2005 when the train bombings happened in London. We’d come back to Knoxville a few years before.  I remember waking up to that story. And crying. And crying. It was happening again.

That’s it. That’s my story about danger. I no longer want to ride roller coasters. I no longer need to get that thrill of danger. I have had a lifetime’s worth.  I still have the nightmares. I still, and I am not exaggerating, flip out if I hear a plane overhead that sounds too low. Or if I see one flying that looks too low. I literally freeze, and I start to lose my breath and talk myself down.  

There’s so much more I could tell. Still stories from that day, that time period that I still have in my head. I don’t doubt for a minute that day changed so many people. I can’t believe I’ve never written about it before now. Someday maybe I’ll share it with others.








Sunday, September 4, 2011

Football!!!!!!!!


I seriously love football. I mean, I could watch it all day long. College, Pro, High School, Pee Wee... I just love it.  Which works out very well when one lives in a Football town.

Check out the cheerleader. You'd think the cheer outfits would be growing on trees here in Knoxvegas. Eileen and I were on THE HUNT Wednesday afternoon for one (yeah yeah yeah, if i were some sort of uber organized Mom, I'd have had her Vol Cheer Outfit ordered by July 1). So at Target, when we came up dry after walkig the whole store 2x, baffled, I said to Eileen: Well Monkey.. they have boys UT stuff.. UT stuff for Daddys, and UT stuff for Mommys. For some reason they don't have any UT stuff for little girls. 

her response?
AWWWW F*CK IT!

Oh MAH GAWD. Conflicted between shock and amusement I asked what she'd said, if only to confirm to myself I wasn't insane. She knew it was wrong, and after a brief discussion on NOT using that word, we moved on. And I, of course, stifled my giggles and promptly posted on facebook.  (editor's note: she did NOT get this phrase from me, bill, josh or sarah.. and i doubt it's the last time she'll hear/utter/learn a four letter word or who knows what else... such is life with a kid!).


K, I know this picture is sideways. I can't make it go the right way. So just turn your dang head to get the idea. So anyway- back to the cheer outfit hunt... Bill had lunch with a friend on Thursday.. which happened to be a the mall.. therefore he was tasked with hunting down an outfit. And didn't he do a great job?! Eileen loved it.  And of course wore it to school on Friday.


As much as we love to go to games, it gets pricey, hot and exhausting. And for this Opening Day game.. wow, so very glad we'd opted to watch with friends at a bar... it may have been one of the best choices ever. We arrived at said bar about one hour before kickoff.  It was roughly 127 degrees and crazy sunny.  Dottie and Croft got there and we discussed how glad we were to be in the conditioning and not melting down at Neyland. We proceeded to indulge in chili cheese fries and buckets of Coors Light. The bar peeps switched the big screen to the game. And there was a billboard up saying "Rain Delay."  K, stilllll sunny and hot as crap out.  Massively confused.  And of course in our modern age, everyone in the bar can be seen whipping out their smart phones to get a look at the radar. And indeed. Massive storms just south of us.  ARGH.  So we proceeded to watch the rain delay at NotreDame and random other games.  It then started to rain like mad.  So we ate and drank. Almost two hours after scheduled kickoff, the game began. YAYAYAYAYAY.

And then, the people watching began.
Now I have lived in several places.  And there are people in every place that you just look at and wonder - on WHAT planet does this person reside?

  • there was The Picker.  This man - who appeared normal - asked if he could sit at our table for a bit. Well sure, we're all friends here in Rocky Top nation. He keeps to himself while we four holler and scream at the big screen. And then. He's digging in his ear. DIGGING. looks at his finger. Sips his beer. and picks his schnoz.  All my will power not to hurl. GROSS. NASTY. Get out of our personal space you creepy man in orange!
  • Annie Leibovitz.  K, there's this table of roughly 12 people.  Men, Women, young and old.  Which was slightly baffling, as this particular establishment allows smoking. And, as far as I know, this state maintains that if a place chooses to allow smoking, all patrons - no matter what time of day- MUST BE OVER 21. The several short people at this table are clearly not 21.  Well. apparently this was some sort of family reunion. One of the women - dressed in a large hat - she was afraid she'd get rained on inside? - had a DSLR camera with her, not unlike my own. And she opted to capture every other nanosecond of this little event. Constant flashing from the camera. For at least three hours. I'm surprised no one suffered a stroke. 
  • That Shirt and Those Shorts Fit You 25LBS Ago Group-  ok.  now I admit... I have more lbs on me than I did 2 years ago when I ran my last marathon.  BUT, I don't wear those clothes that fit me two years ago.  WHY do people insist on wearing clothes that clearly don't fit? OR - you ladies with larger bosoms (of which i know nothing) - must you REALLY rub them on our heads when walking behind our table? could you NOT have opted to walk 3 extra feet to where the actual aisle is?
  • Mullets. Male and Female. Here's a hint: the year is 2011, quickly approaching 2012.  GET A HAIRCUT.
  • Crutches/Slings/FootBoots... there seemed to be an abnormally large amount of people there with one body part or another in a cast or brace or some sort of binding. Has there been a rash of Klutz's that have moved to town? and as Head Klutz, it should be noted I was NOT one of said people all wrapped up.
  • The Clubbers. OH MERCY.  So - this bar we're in- when it gets into the late hours -- as in 10pm and after (oh now I'm old.  there was a time in this girls life when 10pm was still to early to be seen out and about...)- this bar becomes a bit of a club scene. Well, since our game started almost two hours late- it was still not even 4th quarter when the Clubbers started arriving.  No doubt they were confused by the still present Sea of Orange, the mullets, slings and Pickers.  They're all milling about in clothes the likes of which I know I never wore, and the likes of which I think must be purchased at one of those Adult Video stores.  And these are the moments when I decide Eileen will be put into her bubble until she's 33.

All that being said, we had a blast. I'm so excited for Football Season to have started. I love the game, and I love the comraderie that comes with it.  I know, it's just a game. But it can be a distraction, something to be passionate about with several hundred thousand other peeps. 

So, here's to a fun season- win or lose - it's still fun!

a big week for mini me...

It's weeks like this that it occurs to me that I am indeed the mommy of a kid. She's not a baby, she's not a toddler. She's a full on kid.

We went to the dentist earlier this week. The sunglasses were courtesy of the hygenist, to keep the bright light out of her eyes.  I'm pretty sure we never got those when we were kids. But the kid did great. She had all sorts of xrays, teeth polishing, and flouride. She just rolled with it. YAY.

She started her new class at the start of the week.  She's still at her preschool, but she's now in the oldest class - and  she is one of the three oldest in the class. We walked in this morning and were practically run OVER by L&P.  I love those kids.  So I am all excited to see them, and I look at L, and he's in a cast!
Me: OMG L! What happened?! 
L: Um, I fwell off the monkey bahhs.
Me: OMG! where were you?
L: At Gwandma's.

He's one of the cutest kids ever. And he's just running around like a mad man with that cast - not phased in the least. I'm certain I could not handle two kids, and even more certain I couldn't handle a boy!

L&P then dragged Eileen off to show her the class hamster (sidebar: do the parents have to sign up for weekends to feed this thing? we have a dog and a turtle. we don't need a small rodent too...). She barely gave me a hug bye, just ran off to play.  Which is that feeling that is so good bc you know your kid is at ease and happy, but also a bit of "HEY! aren't you going to miss your mommy?!"

She's been saying for weeks she wants to take gymnastics. I keep trying to convince her to to play soccer... but to no avail.  She wants gymnastics with Hannah and Ashlyn.  So be it. She has now officially signed  up. She's taken gymnastics at school before, but this will be her first official "after school activity."  Admittedly, it will be fun to watch. And when other parents are stuck watching soccer in the cold and rain, at least I can take solace being indoors. Right?



Her fifth birthday is approaching at the speed of light. So party plans have begun (ok, i got the venue booked - thats a start).  The theme has been chosen. Now just to narrow down the guest list and get the invites out and menus planned. I'm just really glad I get to have three other parents helping me plan this, bc it's a lot of work.   And since this is a 'big' one.. we have ears to pierce, bunk beds to be ordered, a room to paint, grandparents to visit, and of course the bday party with friends. Mommy  can't wait!