Shampoo vs. Conditioner or How to Pay Attention at the Store

I did something stupid. It was an honest mistake, really, but it irritated me anyway. I went to the World of Wally the other day, and one of the things on my list was shampoo. Down the shampoo aisle I went, grabbed a bottle of the stuff I use, tossed it in the cart and continued on my merry way. The next day, I am in the shower getting ready to wash my hair. I empty a couple of pumps of shampoo into my hand and think, "Hmmm...this doesn't feel right. Oh well...maybe they changed the formula," and begin to work it into my hair. No lather. No bubbles. I think, "Hmmm...this really doesn't feel right. It doesn't smell right, either." I look at the bottle and realize it's conditioner not shampoo! I guess I never looked at the bottle hard enough when I was at the store. Either that, or it was in the wrong place - with the shampoo - and I thought it was shampoo. Either way, one cannot wash one's hair with conditioner. What a greasy mess that would be. So I turned to the cheap dollar-store stuff we have and used it instead. With, of course, my nice conditioner that I now have 2 bottles of! Need I say I had a bad hair day? What a subject to blog about - but I thought I'd share anyway. TTFN JMS

Mama Mia!

My friend DS and I went to see Mama Mia last night. What a crazy, silly, strange, scary, funny movie this was. Here's what I learned: 1) Pierce Brosnan cannot sing. 2) Pierce Brosnan & Meryl Streep kissing is scary. 3) I LOVE ABBA songs! 4) Meryl Streep seems too old to be playing the mother of a 20 year old who was supposed to have been born in the 70's. The time frame seems a little...well...off. Other than that - it was fantastic! The costumes are awesome and, as DS said, if this movie doesn't get some sort of Oscar nod (maybe in the costume or choreography categories) then the movie folks are crazy! Some parts of the movie are embarrassingly bad - meaning the parts where the various characters break into song. The little (and I do mean little) twist at the end is wonderful and the movie ends just the way it should. I guess I didn't really mean this to be a movie review, but...so it has become. If you get an opportunity to see this movie (and you're a girl) then you'll probably love it. Or hate it. I really don't think there's any middle ground on this one. But I had a great time. My friend DS and I had dinner before hand and got to know one another a little bit. She and her family just joined our church a couple of weeks ago and I'm glad to have met her. I think we have quite a bit in common. I am hoping to get her hooked on GoodReads.com, too! We're both avid readers, so this should be fun! I love new friends! Of course, I love my old friends, too! Speaking of old friends (and I don't mean age), I'm meeting my dear friend KA for lunch today. She lives in London now and I haven't seen her since I was pregnant with Kiddo! We used to work together and have kept in touch on and off since we went our separate ways career-wise. I'm excited to see her and for her to see Kiddo and Little Bit, who will be meeting us at the restaurant (with Hubby, of course) for lunch. As tired as I am right now, I'm in a great frame of mind and am looking forward to this being a very good day. TTFN JMS

Camping Disaster...sort of

Ah, the joys of camping. I actually like camping - I really do - but I've never been camping with the kids before. Hubby has a lot more patience than I do. We got there about 4:30 on Friday and began setting up. The afternoon turned out to be hot & humid, but beautiful. The site we chose was relatively flat and not too far from the bath house and playground. Little Bit and I took a walk around the end of the circle while Hubby and Kiddo set up the tent and the camp site. Little Bit walked along with me, holding my hand, stopping occasionally to examine a leaf (I had a collection of them by the time we got back) or a rock. She was very happy to just take her time and explore, and I let her. When we got back to the site, she spent almost an hour going up and down, up and down the three wooden steps from the drive to the flat spot where the concrete picnic table was. Up and down, up and down. She was practicing and she got quite good at it; it's almost a shame our house doesn't have steps. Then Hubby sent me out to the store to get coffee, because, you know, it's an emergency when you have a new percolator coffee pot and no coffee to brew in it. So I grabbed Little Bit, who cried almost the entire way to the store (about 25 miles, round trip) until I started singing to her and she started singing along. The tent and the bug screen over the picnic table were all set up by the time we got back and it was already nearing 7:30PM. Both kids were hungry and Hubby had the hibachi grill going. We ate turkey burgers and veggie burgers (no condiments, because I didn't hear Hubby tell me to get them while I was at the store) and watermelon. Oh, but I do love a good watermelon! Kiddo's face was orange from the super-strong Tang that Hubby made. Both kids spent time getting in trouble playing with the 3-gallon jug of water we brought specifically for drinking. Then I took them over to the playground while Hubby finished making dinner and getting things organized. It was an interesting playground, and I still haven't figured out how any kid is supposed to get up into the thing that housed the slides!? We ate, we played. I spent almost 2 hours singing to Little Bit, trying to soothe her into sleep. She finally fell asleep in the crook of my left arm while I gently patted her belly. She was completely worn out, but so excited she didn't want to go to sleep, so she fought me. When she finally succumbed to the Sleep Monster, I snuck out to check on my guys. They were roasting "marsh-a-mellos" on sticks in the fire. (Whoever had the site before we did left several logs of wonderfully aromatic cedar wood and the fire Hubby built smelled great! He saved a couple chunks for me to sniff. Maybe I'll put them in one of my dresser drawers...or maybe I'll use them on a scrapbook page, when/if I ever find all my crafting supplies.) Anyway - to make a long story short (I know...too late) sometime around 2AM it started raining. Not just a light drizzle but a deluge; a total downpour. So there we are, cozy in our tent, listening to the rain. Little Bit is up and down all night - crawling on top of us, trying to get to the dog (who came with us, by the way) chattering on about the rain, wanting to unzip the flaps and look out the windows and generally making a nuisance of herself. Kiddo woke up and tried his best to settle her down by himself. He called her back to him and wrapped his arm around her, but unfortunately that only served to tick her off and sent her careening over me to the other side and away from her big brother. Somehow we managed to get some sleep and then it was 6:15AM and we were all awake. The tent had leaked, so sleeping bags, pillows, clothes etc were all soaked. Everything was damp. Hubby and Kiddo were already outside of the tent working on breakfast in the foggy, quiet of the early morning. The air was still heavy with rain and everything, everything was wet. Hubby cooked turkey sausage and add-water-and-shake pancakes - which were, much to my surprise, all very good. The cowboy coffee (in new percolator) was actually hot and decent. (We forgot coffee cups, but thankfully there were a couple Styrofoam cups in my car that, after a good washing, were usable for hot beverages. I tried to be pleasant and happy, but all I could think about was being warm and dry. So, after packing up all the wet things, I took Little Bit and headed home around 9AM. Hubby and Kiddo stayed behind to see if the day would get any better - with the possibility of staying another night should things dry off. Little Bit fell asleep just after we drove over the dam (we were at Norris State Park) and she barely stirred when I lifted her sleeping body out of the car seat and into her bed once we got home. Then I tumbled into bed, too, and we both slept for about four hours. Sometime around 1:30 or 2PM, I called Hubby to see how things were going. He said, "Well, we're outside the door!" I opened the door to see him carrying the limp, sleeping body of Kiddo across the street and onto our deck. After he dumped Kiddo in his bed and covered him up, Hubby crashed diagonally across our bed and slept, deeply, for a few hours. There is so much more, but I have already written a novella here, so I'd better sign off. Needless-to-say, Kiddo, Little Bit and I all have stuffy noses, but we're all doing fine. Maybe next time (yes, there will be a next time) we'll have the luck of good weather. I'll post a few pictures tomorrow, if I remember to bring the camera! TTFN JMS

VBS & Camping

VBS is my life right now - though tonight is the last night. It's been such a rewarding experience; one I never expected it to be. These kids have such a great time, and though chaos reigns supreme when everyone is playing or crafting or learning, it is so wonderful to see them having fun. Kiddo flatly refused to participate last night, so rather than argue with him about it, I gave up and asked the nursery folks if they'd mind if he joined them. Of course, they did not, and so he spent the 2.5 hours playing with Little Bit and their little friend CGM, who will be 3 this November. My group (The Red Group) spent the first 30 minutes in the gym playing another rousing game of Duck, Duck, Goose. Lots of running and screaming ensued - and no injuries this time. (The last time, one of the little girls slipped and got a pretty good carpet burn on her knee.) Then we headed down to the Fellowship Hall for crafts. We made hand-print tee-shirts and while I did help get everyone set up, my main job was to assist all the kids with washing off their paint covered hands. Lots of soap and water and scrubbing. I washed 18 pairs of hands! Last, we split into two groups. While half of the kids went out to the parking lot to meet a local police officer and learn about what he does and how the kids could help him (by listening to, and obeying their parents, and by praying for him every day), the other half stayed in one of the classrooms to meet Parker, a beautiful, sweet golden retriever who is part of HABIT (Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee). Then we switched, and the police group went to see Parker and Parker's group went to see the police officer! Then we all gathered back in the gym for more singing and dancing. Little Bit, as usual, bopped and wiggled to the music and had a grand time flirting with the little boys. (I think we're in for it when she eventually gets to dating age!) Hubby had shown up by this point (he had been working) and then we all went home. I think I will volunteer to help out next year. I didn't volunteer this year because I didn't think I'd have time, but since I got dragged into it (not really) this year, I've realized how rewarding it is and how much fun I've had. If I have had fun with it, I can only imagine that the kids have, too! I've got to give many Kudos to those folks (SE...this means you!) who planned VBS this year. I can't imagine what it took to get everything organized, but I'm sure it was quite a feat! Way to go! I'm sure you've got to be exhausted!

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

We're going camping this weekend. This will be both Kiddo & Little Bit's first time in a tent! Well, that is if you don't count Hubby & Kiddo's overnight in the tent in the back yard a couple of weeks ago. I'm not sure what to expect, really. I think that Kiddo will probably have a great time, but I'm worried that Little Bit won't sleep. If she doesn't sleep, that means that the rest of us won't sleep, either. But I guess it doesn't really matter. Too bad we can't pack up a rocking chair, because then we'd be sure to get her asleep! TTFN JMS

VBS and Stubborn Kids

We're in the third day now of Vacation Bible School at church. Last night, Hubby stayed home while I took the kids to VBS. His intent was to mow the lawn, but both weather and lawnmower problems worked against him. He was able to get the front yard done, though, so that's good. I helped out with The Red Group and we had a great time! Kiddo was in my group and spent a majority of the time sitting on my lap and complaining that he didn't want to be there, he wanted to be in the nursery playing with Little Bit. I explained to him that by bringing him to the nursery, it would defeat the purpose of our being there - because what would we be there for then? (I didn't tell him that we'd stay anyway because I was helping.) He dragged his feet through a majority of the evening and only when I told him we were leaving 30 minutes early did he stomp his foot and yell (at the top of his lungs), "NO! I'm not ready to leave yet!" So we stayed. We got to get into, and look around in, the back of an American Red Cross emergency response vehicle - which was really cool, if I do say so myself. I think a lot of the kids didn't quite understand the purpose, but it was interesting for me to see a little bit of how they do what they do. Then we went into the gym and played Duck, Duck, Goose. There was lots of noise and running. Kiddo either didn't understand what was going on, or how to play, or he just plain didn't want to participate (which is my guess) and didn't jump up to run when he was "Goose'd." The poor kid who "Goose'd" him started running, and then realized she wasn't being chased and looked completely lost as to what to do next. They told her to start over. Then we went down to the Fellowship Hall for crafts and made tongue-depressor picture frames. Kiddo went a little glue/stick crazy and one of the girls had to help him - but it all worked out in the end. Then, for the finale - there was lots of music and dancing and clapping and singing. I think, by that time, Kiddo was actually having fun and this was why he didn't want to leave when the girls from the nursery brought Little Bit to me. She danced and danced and flirted with some of the little boys. The little boys made faces at her and chased her around all in an attempt to get her to laugh at them. I thought this whole process was quite amusing and very, very cute. Getting the kids to bed was easy, but getting them to sleep was the hard part! They were both so wound up I thought we'd never have silence! Then, once Little Bit was asleep, and Kiddo was quietly laying in his bed, I got on the computer and looked at a funny cat site for about 40 minutes, which had me laughing so hard I was crying! It managed to bring Kiddo into the room to find out what was going on. I think he thought something was wrong with Mommy, but when he found out I was laughing, he wanted to know what I was laughing at. Remember, this is now almost 10:30 PM! I ushered him right back to bed and explained that I loved him dearly, but that if he didn't go to sleep in the next five minutes, he was going to be in big trouble. You betcha! Five minutes later, he was out like a light. Ah...the empty threats of parents that only work when the kids are really little. TTFN JMS

"Mom, where do babies come from?"

We're all in the car, riding home from Vacation Bible School last night and Kiddo says to me, "Mom...did you poop [Little Bit] out?" Thinking that he was asking if we tired her out, Hubby responded, "Yep - we sure did, bud! She's pretty tired." "No, Dad," he says with all the disdain a four-year-old can muster. "Where did she come from? How did she get out of your belly, Mom?" I'm so stunned by the randomness of this question that I have no ability to speak, and Hubby can see by the look on my face that it is up to him to respond to this question. "She pushed her out," he says, simply. "Oh," says Kiddo. "Did it hurt, Mom?" Recovering slightly, I was able to answer, "Yes, it did." "Oh," he says again, shaking his head. "I'm sorry that happened." "I'm not," I responded. "I got both of my beautiful kids that way!" Silence reigned for a few minutes, until I said to Hubby, "I wonder where he came up with that? Where did he hear it?" Since where babies come from is not really a topic of conversation around our house the only thing we can think of is that he saw something on TV that made him question the reality of where his sister came from. We asked Kiddo what made him think of it, and he did not have an answer. He said he was just thinking about it, that's all. Up to this point, we've only told him that they (he and his sister) came from God; an answer that has satisfied him completely in the past. But, I guess we're past that point now and he's starting to question the simplicity of the answers we've given him to previously asked questions. I don't know. It felt like such a turning point. Has his brain really advanced that much? He seems to be growing by leaps and bounds in the smarts department. He's started drawing very human-like figures and understands that hands need fingers and faces need eyebrows and ears and hair. He has always had fantastic language skills, and though he still says words that are not quite right, we have never been worried that he won't eventually understand how to say and/or use them correctly. But this? This was like an epiphany to me. An oh-my-gosh-where-did-my-baby-boy-go moment. Whatever it is or was, it just hammers home that statement I've heard 1000 times since I became a parent: Don't blink, or you'll miss it. Before you know it, they're grown and gone and you wonder if they were ever really that little. TTFN JMS

This Fantastic Weekend

We had a wonderful, fun, fantastic weekend! Really, that's not my sarcasm shining through.

On Saturday night, we all went to the county fair. Kiddo and I rode the Ferris wheel together, then he rode on the kiddie airplanes, then we, and Our Favorite Mechanic & his family, all went and watched the lawnmower races (something I was dragged to, but not quite kicking and screaming - more on that later), then we ate hot dogs, drank fresh-squeezed lemonade, then Kiddo and I rode the Chinese Dragon Roller Coaster thingy, and he rode the motorcycle-go-round whatchacallit, and then we both went down the mile-high slide. Ok, so it wasn't really a mile high, but the bazillion steps up to the top could have convinced me otherwise. Also, I think I had a heart attack on the way down. Kiddo and I went separately instead of together and I am completely surprised he didn't get scared. I was more scared than he was!

Anyway - Little Bit had the best time at the Lawnmower Races. She "Wowed" and "Oohhed" and clapped her little hands while watching these buzzing mowers race around a dirt track. After about the third race, I looked at Our Favorite Mechanic and said, "Is it over yet?" He said, "It can be..." and we left.

Kiddo really really didn't want to leave and almost got in trouble on the way out because he pulled away from me and stopped. We had already explained to him that this was the type of place where there are too many people and he absolutely had to hold somebody's hand. Pulling away from Mommy was not an option.

On the way home, both kids sat quietly in their seats and drew on their doodle boards. I was amazed that neither of them fell asleep on the ride home! But bedtime that night was a non-issue as both of them were asleep inside five minutes of being tucked in.

Then, last night, we had the Vacation Bible School kick-off BBQ at our church. There were water toys and a pool and sprinklers and bubbles and sidewalk chalk and lots of fun things for the kids to do. There was even a band. Little Bit had such a good time dancing and wiggling her little behind to the music - it was so cute! (The pictures below didn't place evenly - there should be 8 of them so keep scrolling down!)

We really had a great weekend.

TTFN
JMS

Much ado about nothing...again

I'm feeling tired today, but, all things considered, rather clear-headed. This is a good thing. I'm quite pleased that today is Friday and that the weekend is looming large in front of me. It has been a very busy week and one that I'm glad to have over with. Our Sr. VP was here on Tuesday, which, though she's extremely good to me, is still somewhat stressful. Everyone runs around making sure things are "just so" and then they all walk on eggshells while she's here. I guess because they don't work with her in the same way I do, they don't know her as well, or feel as comfortable around her. I don't know. But her visits always seem to stress people out. The visit itself was quick and a good one - she had her meetings (all of which I set up for her) and left the same afternoon. She was happy, very pleased with how things were running here, had some great things to say about some of the changes we're putting in place, and was on her way. I've been working on several small projects, one of which was a mail-merge for our Human Resources department that took me all of about 30 minutes. I'm also trying to get some of the artwork replaced, which has required several phone calls to the art consultant in Dallas, TX who was brought on board back before this building even opened! The ball is rolling and I should have a quote in a week or two after the consultant has a chance to track down what we want. I'm also working on transcribing the recorded session from our Manager/Supervisor off-site last Friday. It's 4 hours worth of recording and I'm only able to work on it for about 30 minutes at a time. That much typing makes my fingers get tired! I start getting cross-fingered; it's like being cross-eyed, but not...you know? I was able to spend some time this week during my lunch breaks trying to track down some material for those patio chairs. I found a dealer here in the city that is helping me out and being my liaison with the manufacturer. Since the chairs are probably 12+ years old, they are no longer being made so that puts a bit of a crimp in the process. I took a few pictures of the chairs and chaise and sent them along to my contact at the dealer which should help identify them. I'm not sure what the plan is for this weekend, but I'm hoping it will involve finishing the work on the medicine cabinet and light in our bathroom, and maybe beginning the work on the 2nd door to Kiddo's room. My plan, personally, is to finish the laundry - my never-ending nemesis. All is well on the home-front and I really don't have anything all that interesting to report (as I'm sure you can tell by now, if you've gotten this far). Kiddo, Little Bit and I spent a little while just hanging out in the back yard last night when I got home from work. This morning, I spoke to Kiddo on the phone and he said, "Mommy? When you get home, maybe you can play with [Little Bit] and I can teach Daddy how to use the High Light?" High Light is actually Light Bright, a great toy he got for his birthday. Speaking of Kiddo's birthday - need to make a general apology to anyone who reads this blog that also attended his party back in March. I have not written any Thank You notes for anything he got for his birthday. This is honestly complete laziness on my part and I'm sorry. So, not that this is the personal way I would prefer to do this, but if you gave Kiddo something for his birthday, please know that we do thank you whole-heartedly. Anyway - now that I've written forever about nothing, I'll sign off. Have a great weekend! Ooohhh! Maybe we'll go swimming! TTFN JMS PS: Can you tell my ADD is acting up today? Oh wait! I see something shiny! Gotta go!

I Hate Bath Time

Taking my cue from Mrs. Meadows...who provided me with not only the inspiration, but the guts to admit it.

"Hello, My name is Jennifer and I hate bath time."

Does this make me a terrible parent? Probably, but it's just the way I feel. Bathing one's children is nothing - repeat NOTHING - like it is on TV. On TV, it's all warm and soothing and quiet happy time with not a splash in sight and a smiling, totally dry, non-frazzled mommy. In reality, it's a noisy, wet, slippery, frustrating experience. Granted, you do get clean kids out of the deal, which is always a good thing, (especially when they're sticky) but the process is anything but warm and soothing. I've tried the warm and soothing thing and it just isn't possible. Bath time at our house leaves the bathroom looking like a war-zone. There's water and toys and towels and clothes everywhere. For someone like me who has a "thing" about nasty bathrooms, this isn't a fun sight to see. Nor is it soothing. Kiddo and Little Bit think splashing mommy is fun. They think splashing each other is fun. They don't care about the water that somehow makes it's wet way over the edge of the tub only to pool in a dangerous, slippery puddle on the linoleum. They don't care that my dry clothes are now soaked and sticking to my skin. They don't care that my hair is sticking out in all directions from my trying to keep it out of my face while, at the same time, trying not to drown them while rinsing their hair. "It's just water, Mom," says Kiddo. "You knew what you were getting into," says Hubby. Ok - they really didn't say these things, I made them up - but that's what I imagine they'd say to me. Oh, and then there's the screaming fit Kiddo throws when I tell him it's time to get out of the tub. "Put up your toys, bud...it's time to get out," I say. And he responds with, "NO!!! I'm not ready to get out yet!" (I am reminded of the Calvin & Hobbes comic where all you see is Calvin running across three frames yelling, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" as his mom chases him down for a bath. I live in the opposite of that world. My kids love the bath and hate to get out! Ah heck, Kiddo is, in many ways, Calvin incarnate.) "Can I watch the swirl in the drain, Mom?" This requires Kiddo waiting in the tub while the water drains out, but I usually let him do it. After bath time, after I'm thoroughly soaked, after my hair is plastered to my forehead, it's a quick dash to dry off whichever kid is now clean so they don't stand there cold and shivering. This is just not my idea of a fun experience. Nope. Warm and soothing just don't factor into this process...anywhere. TTFN JMS

Request for Assistance

OK folks, help me out here. Hubby and I received a patio set from his sister (which we're very happy to have) but the fabric seats in the chairs need to be replaced before we can use them. I have called all over the city looking for a place that sells the fabric so that we could do it ourselves, but have had no luck. Today, for example, I sent an email to Hearth & Patio to see if they do it or could recommend someone who could. There are places I've found online, but they all seem to require shipping the chairs to them - which, of course, we do not want to do. I'm getting frustrated here, because Hubby and I really want to make good use of the outdoor furniture this summer and at this rate, it will be winter again before we get the chairs in any condition to use! I'm envisioning iced tea with friends while we watch the children play in the back yard. I'm such a suburbanite! :) Do you have any thoughts or suggestions that could help us? Does anyone know how to replace the fabric seats on the chairs and chaise? If we can track down fabric, maybe you can show us what to do. This seems a silly request, but actually I'm using any and all ways I can to find this stuff! Thanks! TTFN JMS

Campin' Out & Park Pictures

Hubby and Kiddo spent the night in a tent in our back yard last night. I honestly thought they'd wind up back in the house at some early morning hour, but they lasted until 6:00 this morning! Kiddo was so excited about it! I'm really, really glad they had a good time.

It looks like we might be going camping sometime in the next couple of weeks - and I am looking forward to that, myself! Just not too sure where we're going to put Little Bit - because I don't think her pack-n-play will fit in the tent with three sleeping bags and a dog.

Oh well, I guess we'll figure it out.

Anyway - I promised a few pictures from our day at the park on Sunday, so here they are! Have a great day!

TTFN
JMS

R&R - Stands for either Rest & Relaxation or Rescues & Robberies

It has rained quite a lot lately - which is a very good thing for the Earth, but not such a good thing in the minds of Kiddo and Little Bit, who have not really been able to get out to play much in the past few days. Last night, Hubby suggested we pack a picnic and go to the park to eat and play. We made PB&J sandwiches, and packed grapes, bananas, potato chips, two sippy cups with milk, and a few other goodies and headed out. I drove. This is important. We got there, did some sleuthing to determine when the park closed, parked the car and as everyone exited the vehicle, we locked the doors. As I got out, I did what I always do: I tossed my car keys in my purse and slung my purse over my shoulder. Then I grabbed the diaper bag and the kids little folding chairs, ready to go. Hubby asked, "What are you bringing your purse for? Why don't you leave it in the trunk?" I dumped my purse in the trunk thinking it would be nice not to have to carry it around with me, and we headed over to the play equipment and picnic tables. Remember...keys are in my purse, which is now in the trunk, and the car is locked up tight. The park was somewhat damp, but not so soaked that we couldn't play. (I've got pictures and will post them later because I forgot to bring my camera with me today so I could download them to my computer.) We played and played and ate and then played some more. It was a lovely evening, with a slight breeze which kept the heat and humidity down to bearable levels. We listened to a buzzing squawking sound that came from all over the wooded area we were playing in and spent some time contemplating what made the noise. (My guess is tree frogs.) We walked over to the boat launch and the fishing dock to look at the water. We went back and played some more. We took some really good pictures. As we got ready to leave, hubby asked, "Where are your keys? I'll go put some of this stuff in the car." "Um... Ah... In my purse," say I. The look my husband cast in my direction was anything but pleasant - as if I'd planned to lock us out of our car. We called B&TG, who went to our gloriously messy house and found Hubby's back-up keys, and then met us at the park. We were rescued in short order and were probably only locked out for maybe 45 minutes, if that. See...this is why I always want to bring my purse with me - even if it is a burden. Because nothing good ever comes of leaving my purse in the trunk. The last time I did this (OK, maybe not the last, last time...but pretty close) I was going to a club in Providence, RI with some friends and we all left our purses and coats in the trunk of my friend's car. The four of us went in to the club, spent a happy two hours people watching, and then decided to go home. Only to find, upon our return to the parking lot, that all the windows of the car (windshield and rear window, too) were busted wide open, there was glass everywhere, the stereo was missing, and everything that was in the trunk was gone. Coats, too. It was January. In Rhode Island. 50+ miles from home. That was one cold, cold, depressing ride. TTFN JMS

The Fashion Sense of a Four Year Old

We're kind of short on closet space in our house. So, seeing that Kiddo's clothes can mostly be folded and put in his dresser, I have commandeered the use of his closet for my stuff. This is probably a somewhat silly thing to post, but here goes... I knew when I got up this morning that I was going to wear my new blue jeans. A nice pair of jeans that actually fit me and don't make me look like a bloated carcass. (You laugh, but I'm serious.) Anyway - I did not know what shirt I was going to wear with said jeans. I sneak quietly into my sleeping son's room (managing not even to disturb the dog, who normally flips out and runs the other way when I get within five feet of her) to look at the shirts I have clean and hanging in his closet. I begin trying on shirts, looking at myself and thinking, "Nope - not that one," and putting it back on its hanger, frustration growing. After three or four iterations of this process, I hear, "That one doesn't look good, Mommy, you might need to lose some weight before you can wear it." So much for me thinking I was going to look fab in my new jeans. Thought I'd share. TTFN JMS

I got tagged!

KB tagged me so rather than send it along, I'll post it here. Rules: You must answer the questions using only one word. 1. Where is your cell phone? MIA 2. Your significant other? home 3. Your hair? frizzy 4. Your mother? away 5. Your father? away 6. Your favorite thing? kids 7. Your dream last night? terrible 8 Your favorite drink? Coke 9. Your dream/goal? organize 10. The room you’re in? cubicle 11. Your hobby? writing 12. Your fear? loss 13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? comfortable 14. What you’re not? evil 15. Muffins? cranberry 16. One of your wish list items? contentment 17. Where you grew up? Connecticut 18. The last thing you did? shop 19. What are you wearing? outfit 20. Favorite gadget? CardScan 21. Your pets? fuzzy 22. Your computer? temperamental 23. Your mood? anticipatory 24. Missing someone? Definitely 25. Your car? old 26. Something you’re not wearing? shoes 27. Favorite store? discount 28. Like someone? Certainly 29. Your favorite color? Green 30. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday 31. Last time you cried? today

Park it!

We have dining room chairs now! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! Ok, so I know it's sort of a silly thing to be excited about, but I am. Hubby and I have gone our entire marriage without actual dining chairs so really, it's about time. We've been sitting on GM's wooden, folding funeral chairs forever. While they are nice to have around in case we need emergency extra seating, they're not great as dining chairs. That was not the function for which they were created. They're old, in need of a few minor repairs, and probably could stand to be refinished but still in decent shape. I'm just really, really glad I don't have to park my ever-expanding butt in them any more unless I absolutely have to. Well, I guess I'm done for today. I've got nothing of real interest to say so if you actually read the above, thank you for your time! :) TTFN JMS PS: Little Bit is 16 months old today!

Fact of Life

Well, we've reached the all-important stage of figuring out the difference between boys and girls. Some of you may already know this story, as it happened a few days ago, but it's still on my mind so I thought I'd share. And, it's still funny. I was up in the attic the other day dragging down some baby items to pass along to someone who needs them more than we do, and I came across Kiddo's old potty chair. I took it down, cleaned it off and showed it to Little Bit - who was immediately interested. She screeched her approval, pointed to it and said, "Potty!" She seemed so excited about it, I asked her if she wanted to sit on the potty. So we got her diaper off and sat her on the pot. Kiddo, very interested himself, and quite surprised at having his old potty chair resurface after months and months of it being MIA, asked, "Can I watch her, Mom?" I didn't really think that much of it. Until Kiddo gasped dramatically and exclaimed, "Mom!!! She doesn't have a penis!!!" He was so shocked and surprised at this simple fact of life that it just really didn't seem like a big deal to me. I'd always wondered how I'd handle the question when it arose, but when it actually came up it seemed like a real non-issue. I said, "No, that's right, bud...she doesn't." "Why?" he asked. "Well, because she's a girl, sweetie. Girls don't have penises." I answer honestly. "Oh," he says, looking confused. After a couple seconds of deep thought (I promise, you could see the steam coming out of his ears!) he said, "Do you have one, mom?" "Nope. I'm a girl." I say matter-of-factly. "Does Nalla?" he queries. (Nalla is the dog.) "Nope. She's a girl, too!" "Oh...well Daddy has one and I do!" He says. "Yup. You and daddy are boys." He seemed satisfied with that and asked me no more questions that day. Since then, however, it has come up randomly a few times and at inappropriate or unexpected occasions. We're trying to keep this to the bare facts at this point because he really doesn't need to know more yet. We've answered the basic question, which was that boys and girls are different and have different parts. It's somewhat amusing, though, to be riding in a car and suddenly hear, in a loud and clear voice from the backseat, "So-and-so doesn't have a penis, cause she's a girl, right Mom?" Oh, the joys of parenthood. TTFN JMS

Home & Work, Work & Home

Boy - I must have some pull here at the office. Either that or I have been given a promotion that I am not aware of. LOL! I suggested, in passing, a couple of weeks ago that New MD and I needed a copier over in our little area of the building and, BAM! It was installed yesterday! Of course, it really was a good idea and honestly quite necessary because I've been using the copiers in other departments, but I suggested it half-heartedly, never thinking it would actually happen. And, to top it off, it's an upgraded model of the ones in the rest of the office! New toy! Yay! So now, I just have to wait for it to be networked so I can print to it, too. Oh, and it will also become my fax machine, which means I can get the fussy little machine I have on my desk off my desk. Ah, the little pleasures and surprises of office life. ****************************************************** Last night I spent quite a bit of time in Kiddo's room going through all the crap that has accumulated in there, and more specifically, in his closet. I now have a large, black, trash bag full of unused or unwanted toys, a few books, and a couple articles of clothing which I intend to post on FreeCycle today to get it out of my house. His closet is now organized. There is nothing under his bed. His books are all on his bookshelf. His clothes are all put away or in the hamper to be washed. I still have to vacuum the dust rhinoceri (read rhinoceros, but plural - and called so because they're much larger and quite a bit scarier than dust bunnies, which suggest feelings of cute and fuzzy things), and actually wash said laundry. Oh, and change the sheets on his bed. Other than that, he's good to go. Tonight, I tackle Little Bit's room.

"Today the kids rooms, tomorrow, the rest of the scary place in which I live."

Have a great 4th of July weekend! TTFN JMS

Travels with Charlie

So OK, it's not the book by Steinbeck (which is one of my all-time favs) for several reasons, not the least of which is that the book title is actually "Travels with Charley" (note spelling difference) and that the "Charley" in question is a gentleman standard French poodle and not a tow-headed, four-year-old boy. Highly recommended reading, though, especially if you love Steinbeck. Anyway - Kiddo and I had a date last night. We spent the first 40 minutes or so shopping for a new pair of pants for Mom (that's me...) because I am in desperate need of pants for work that not only fit, but that look professional. Then we went to the Olive Garden for dinner. The Olive Garden was a story in and of itself. We waited for 20 minutes for a table for two, ordered our food the second we sat down, the waiter spilled my Coca-Cola upon delivery, didn't leave straws (or, as Kiddo would say "Strawl"), and then delivered an slightly under-cooked little pizza and a slightly overcooked Garlic Chicken con Broccoli (my fav!). Spilled soda never got cleaned up, extra napkins never arrived, straws we acquired from another server, and we actually only had about 5 minutes to eat our food. Kiddo, thankfully, had filled up on salad and bread sticks (yes, he eats and likes salad) so missing out on his pizza wasn't a huge deal. Also, I wasn't too concerned about him eating all his dinner because it was a night that was supposed to be fun and easy for him, and not stressful for either of us. Therefore, forcing him to eat his dinner was not on the agenda. We got the bill, paid for our dinner, and were at the theater with five minutes to spare. Of course, there's 20 minutes of previews so again...not concerned. We saw Wall-E...and it was fantastic! Kiddo and I shared popcorn and he got his own fruit punch. I, of course, enjoyed an ice-cold Coca-Cola. The theater chair kept folding Kiddo up inside it so he sat on my lap for a majority of the movie. But, the movie kept his interest and he didn't squirm or get bored or have to go to the bathroom. He did, though, say to me, "Mom, I'll be right back." "Where are you going?" "I'm going up there!" he said with, pointing to the top of the theater and grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "Um...I don't think so, bud. Why don't you stay here with me, OK?" I suggested. "Ok. This is a good movie, Mom! I'm glad we came here." After the movie was over, we headed over to the World of Wally because I promised him he could have a new Doodle Board. (He suggested we get one for Little Bit, too, so she doesn't use his...which we did, but we got her the smaller version of his so there would be no fighting.) It was a great night, and though he fought me a little bit when we got home and he had to go to bed, he was so knocked out within 30 minutes he was snoring! I don't think he moved all night because he was in the same position this morning as he was when he fell asleep. I think Kiddo and I will have to do "Date Night" more often. Kiddo told me he loved me without any prompting and let me tell you, that made my heart soar! TTFN JMS