Saith Sophia to Stephanie on Friday night,"The laundry is like a dinosaur that’s going to eat my penguin!"
See? Once in a while I do explain the randomness that is my blog title.
And, it appears, Typepad is not going to let me whittle the size back down to normal. Lovely. We'll all just have to deal.
So tomorrow, we are leaving for two weeks for our Mediterranean cruise. Can ya stand it?!! I can't. If it wasn't for my medication, there's no way I'd be sleeping before then! I am so damn excited, can't tell you how much.
Um, so speaking of sleep, I am suddenly exhausted. I worked all daygetting ready for our trip on Tuesday.
{Ha, I have no idea why that line ended up so tiny. Or how to get it back. Stupid, stupid Typepad! Argh.}
I packed, did laundry, and shopped. I haven't cleaned, but I'm hoping to get that done, at least superficially, tomorrow, along with finishing everything else up.
I guess that really is all I have to tell tonight, anyway. Don't forget to check out the European Blog while we are away - Rob is bringing his laptop, and the ship has wifi! - and Chloë's summer blog!
Okay, y'all didn't vote in the poll! There are only two votes, and one's mine, and one's Stephanie's. Y'all need to give me your input on this; I know there are more of you out there than that! ;)
So today, I had a whole heckuva lot more on my to-do list than there was actually time to accomplish. Perhaps tomorrow.
I tried to call for referrals to an allergist and a neurologist, but there was no answer after 20-odd rings at my clinic. Humph.
I called the cocky SOB who was going to paint our house, to see if he had a contractor's license or anything, and he does not. So I gave him the boot. Didn't like him, don't want to give him our business.
I did manage to (finally) make Sophia's 3-year well-child appointment. It'll be the day after we get back from Europe. No rest for the weary... traveler.
Tried calling the gymnastics place to at least get the deets for their 3yo program, but there was no answer. Yet another $#%(*& place that's closed on Mondays!!
Never made it to the bank to cash out our trip account and get some traveler's cheques. Never made it to the base to fill my scripts so I'll have enough meds for Europe.
Couldn't remember the name of the karate place, to get the deets for their 5yo program. Five years we've lived here, five years that we've been going to the same grocery store right next to the karate place. You'd think it would have sunk in by now.
Didn't do any sewing. Didn't have the desire today, after toiling on the floor with my fabric all laid out yesterday, cutting the huge pieces for Chloë's dress. But maybe I'll go do some after this.
Didn't crochet, either. No time. And we didn't bake. I planned to make a new cookie recipe, from my Martha Stewart cookie book, with the kids... but we're out of flour and darn near out of butter. And dog food, not that that would make for great cookies. I sent Rob to the store for those three things tonight. He just got back. At least I cut out the coupons from yesterday's paper.
Oh, and I folded five loads of laundry and washed two more. I'm trying to really keep on top of it so there isn't a ton to do before our trip, and all my clothes will be clean.
After I folded all that, the Littles went down for nap, Chloë went downstairs to get ready and then play on Webkinz (finally, she knows how to log in by herself!), and I took a shower. I was going to do my make-up and, you know, try and look decent, but my face was so blustery and hot after I blow-dried my hair that it would have just slid right off. So I went nakey-faced. As usual. Oh, well. I wear glasses, anyway.
I didn't even really dress up for the Show. I'm wearing jean capris and a red polo shirt. Rob wore a polo and some khakis, but when we were walking in downtown Norfolk before the show, he noticed what I wore and cursed himself for not wearing shorts, too. Ha, ha. Sucka. I wasn't underdressed, though. Lots of folks wore dressy things, but plenty others went casual.
We forgot to take Chloë's earrings out when we dropped her off, and now they are gone. I am disappointed, because they were the little pink flowers with which she got pierced, and they were my favorites. Live and learn.
After she was backstage and taken under the instructors' wings, I drove around the corner to the market so Rob could run in and buy her flowers. We found a place to park nearby (there was a garage right there the whole time! Who knew?!) and then went to our favorite sushi place in the world, Domo. We discovered it a few years ago when we went downtown for a Steven Wright concert. The food is out-of-this-world fresh, and so tasty. The service is good, too. If you're ever in Norfolk and like sushi, go!
Finally, it was time to get back across the street to the Roper and get ourselves seated. I was bemoaning having camnesia, so I wouldn't be able to get a backstage picture of Chloë and her teacher this year. So, I taught Rob how to use my phone's camera. Wouldn't you know, when he went around the block to get her at half-time intermission, he took a picture of her with her flowers, but no Miss Ashley! Just completely forgot!
The Show was great. Darlene did her usual introduction of all the graduating seniors, and for no reason at all, I found myself in tears. It's not like I know any of those girls! I guess it was just reminiscent of my years as a dancer. I just imagined my little Chloë, starting off at the age of three and, finally, still doing dance, graduating from high school. Imagine!
There were some pretty risqué moves going tonight, especially for some of the younger girls. Lyrics, too. I bet a few tongues were wagging!
There was one girl in at least four numbers on that stage tonight, who is every bit as heavy as I am, if not more. Rob can vouch. We talked about her afterward, in wonderment. She wasn't even good! I mean, I wasn't anywhere near that big when I danced, not at all, but I did the moves and then some. She barely tried. At what point does a parent look at that and say, We're wasting our money, let's get her into something else? I felt embarrassed for her. She just did not look good up there, nor did she look particularly enthused. Oh, well. Not my problem.
What is my problem: my own children's health. I can say, with a high degree of certainty, that I will never let them get that way as long as they are under my roof. Not that there's any danger of that anytime soon, but if one of them ballooned up, we'd do something about it, and pronto. (In a loving, we-want-you-to-be-healthy kind of way, not, ew, you fat freak, go to camp and lose it!) (I can say this all, because it takes one to know one.)
I looked at the lithe, flat-chested bodies of the 'serious' dancers, and wondered what my Chlo and Soap will look like at that age. Will they be like me? Will they be like their Dad? One of each? I think it's safe to say Chloë will be a skinny thing, and Sophia will be a bit more on the curvy side.
When we'd collected our Chloë, we sat back and watched the second half through her eyes. She wriggled and shimmied in her chair, copying the older girls. She clapped loud and tried to "wooo wooo" along with the appreciative audience. When I giggled, she looked up at me pointedly and said, "What!"
Normally, it's our tradition to go out for sundaes (again, stemming from my dancing days) after the recital, but it was 2200 when we got out of there! The Littles were put to bed by Stephanie, and we agreed to do it tomorrow, with Stim. Friendly's, here we come!
Hey, look, I found a picture of me when I danced - see, not so chubby (click to see it big):
Today was not my most fabulous day. Again, I just could not wake up fully, and again, I woke feeling sickly, with the runny eyes and sore throat and all of that business. I think I must be getting allergies. I mean, duh, of course I am, but now I'm getting *those* kind of allergies too, kwim? At least today, I had time to feed Chloë before school. I lay back down after getting her on the bus, and when I started getting Jack ready to get breakfast, before I made his lunch, his bus came!! SO early! I didn't know what to do, so I just hustled him out the door. No breakfast, no lunch. Thank God I knew they would have something for him at school, but I felt awful.
So then I still couldn't stay awake. Sophie and I just snuggled on the couch together, and we fell asleep, and I completely missed my dentist appointment. I got in trouble for it, too! When I called, like two hours later, to apologize, the receptionist said, "Dr. M doesn't know if he can trust you anymore because he looked through your records and found you've missed an appointment before, too." I did?!! News to me. So that's embarrassing. I feel like finding a new dentist, but that would be bad. We love Dr. M. I'll just have to get over it.
After school, we headed to ballet class. It's almost over, time for another recital! I brought along some yarn and a pattern for a top I plan to crochet for myself for the cruise, my first-ever wearable for ME. I did the first row before I gave up and fell asleep again. The Littles were in the back seat, having a grand old time goofing around, but I slept right through the whole hour. I felt like I could go home and sleep some more, too, but there was tons of work to be done.
We needed to clean up everywhere so Barbara can come in and do her job tomorrow, but the kids started whining about being too tired and needing a nap. Okay, fine, I put them down and checked my email. But they were running around, playing, being loud, and that wasn't going to fly. So I marched upstairs and sent Chloë down to put away the living room toys, Jack to his room to clean up toys in there, and Sophie, heaven help her, to clean in her room. Girlfriend just refuses to help pick up and will do anything and everything to get out of it. Eventually, Jack finished and I sent him in to help her, and then Chloë joined the fray. It's still not done. I had to grant them a reprieve eventually. It was a disaster in there.
Meanwhile, I was folding six basketfuls of laundry and washing more. It never ceases to amaze me how much there is to do. I should be up there right now, putting it away, but I finally needed to get something to eat. As for the kids, they snacked on bread and grapes and yogurt for dinner. At least it was good stuff...
Rob had to stand watch tonight, so he worked a long day and just got home. He's supposed to be doing his room now - the kitchen - but I believe he has gone to sleep instead. Ugh! I've got enough to do with the laundry... but he needs his rest. Guess I'll tackle that later.
And that, my friends, is our most uninteresting day.
Friday did not go as I had planned at all. It started when Chloë and I were walking out the door to go to the bus stop. Usually, the door is locked, so I have to turn the switch to make it unlocked. Well, for some reason, it was unlocked, so as I was leaving, as usual, I turned the &*^*& switch and, yep, locked myself out of the house. Now, normally when Chlo lets the dog out in the morning, she forgets to lock the back door afterward. But nope, not yesterday morning! So I was completely SOL. And Jack and Sophia were locked inside the house, sleeping in their little beddie-byes.
Fortunately, this was the one day I happened to grab my cell phone on the way out the door.
I called Rob and told him the sitch. He's got a long drive to come home from work, but he was on his way to bail me out. I was glad to at least have that morning's paper still sitting in the driveway.
After a half-hour of reading that, I decided to call Rob and see if he was close to home. Oh, he was very close... but he had a flat tire. And no jack. Aughhhh! So he had to wait and wait and wait for motorist assistance to come and bail him out, before he could come bail me out.
But, aha! Barbara the cleaning lady has a key to my house! It was early, but I figured she was a normal person, unlike myself, and probably up at that hour. She was. She was in the middle of cleaning her house. If I could wait, oh, an hour, she could come after that? Argh. No, I'll wait for Rob, thanks anyway.
Shortly after that, I heard a commotion coming from inside the house. So I started ringing the bell and knocking on the door, and almost instantly, Sophia unlocked it and let me in. What was she doing up so early and out of her room? Jack had gotten her up. She still had the sleepy face. But I was in!
So finally Rob came home (I'd called him to let him know I'd gotten in), because he wanted to get the jack out of the shed and put in his, you know, actual vehicle where it was, you know, actually needed.
And then he said he needed my *^%^*& van to drive back to work, because his spare tire was not going to be making it all the way there and back. Fudge! I had plans, and lots of them! So in return for fouling up my day even more, I talked him into running to Panera first to get us some lunch, which he did. And it was yummeh.
But then he left, with my van, leaving Sophie and me stranded for the day instead of being able to do all the running we had planned. Sigh. We trudged upstairs, where I spent the better part of three hours hauling out all the kids' spring/summer clothes and putting away winter clothes, sorting through them to see what would still fit and what would need to be handed down/tossed/donated.
I'd forgotten that Chloë still wore a lot of 3Ts last summer! So literally half of her summer wardrobe went directly from her closet into her sister's; Sophie is wearing 3Ts and some 4Ts now! Good thing I just bought a bunch of clothes from Gymboree; it should be here next week. Jack will still mostly be able to wear his 2T clothes, of course; the boy just doesn't grow much, and short shorts don't matter as much as short pants. Sophie lost a lot of her wardrobe, too, so I put it in a bag to bring to consignment.
I wanted to dig in on the laundry some more - I must talk about laundry constantly, because literally, it never freaking stops around here! - but it was time for Jack's bus. I made my way down just as she was pulling up to the driveway. I peeked out the peekhole to see her looking pissed because she thought I wasn't home - after all, the van wasn't there. So I threw open the door with a big smile to catch her nodding to her aide and mouthing "yeah, she's here." Have I mentioned this bus driver and I hate each other?
We couldn't go to the Farmer's Market because, of course, no car. So we hung out in the living room, playing with toys, reading, knitting, and what-have-you, until Daddy finally came home from work, a little early, having gone to the Exchange for some shoes and a tie for the cruise, and to the Naval hospital for Jack's shot record so he can register for kindergarten. Holy run-on, batman. I don't care. It's my blog and I'll babble if I want to.
So the kids all needed naps, and they went right down when Daddy returned from work. We were going to watch movies and eat something while they slept, so Rob went to Moe's (Welcome to Moe's!) to pick up our usual order. Then Steph called to say she and Tim were around the corner and heading over. Cool. I decided to put on a bra, at the very least. I'd been sitting around in sweats with no underthangs.
They came right in while I was half-nekkid, putting on my brassiere, and I screeched at them to stay out! Hehe. There are always boob issues when Steph and I are around each other. There was another boob issue later, but she forbade me from posting about it!
They brought along their two puppies, one-year-old Wazowski and this new little cutie, Rosie May. She is the most beautiful puppy ever!!! (At least since Tiger Lily was a wee lass.) So soft and sweet and .... ahhh. I love puppies. Especially this one.
Rosie May falls asleep on Chloë's lap; she's in heaven
After a long while of shootin' the shit, we puppy-sat for them while they went out to get some dinner and leave us to ours. Chloë was awake by this point, so they took her along for dinner! This was a special treat for her, to go out with them, and she was very excited. The pups were good, although Miss Rosie had a couple of accidents during her visit. She's new, though, so she's excused. I sure don't miss the puppy stage with Lily, though. Man.
I showered and dressed fo' reals while they were gone, and by the time they returned, the Littles were awake, too. Steph wanted all 26 of our legs (7 people, 3 doggies) to get some exercise, so we took a walk around the smaller lake across the street from our house. I was really nervous about this, because of my back and the troubles walking I've had lately, but I do need to build up some stamina so I can enjoy our cruise to the fullest. We headed out.
Sophia sat right down at the beginning of our walk to watch the ducks!
Jack liked being up close to this guy and kept calling him a turkey, which made me laugh.
I got about halfway around the lake before I kept having to stop and sit to let my back stop it's painful spasming and seizing. It was annoying and embarrassing. I'm hoping the impact of this injury will diminish after the gastric bypass.
I'm awfully fond of this sight every spring, especially because I often think of my children as my little ducklings following along behind me, wherever I go. Duckies are the cutest babies!
Back home again, I let Stephanie cut my too-long bangs... and I won't be doing that again! LMAO! They look not so good. But they'll grow back; they always do.
Then I cut her hair, and there were many jokes made about the kinds of things girls do when they get together. We hung out some more before they headed home, and all of us were so glad to have such good 'couple' friends.
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Are you liking the music being back on the site? No? You'll have to thank or blame Daisy for that, depending on your opinion!
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I stayed up until 0400 on my monthly online charity crochet-a-thon thingy, chatting with crochet friends and trying to win a prize. I won nothing. I've won nothing all year. Suckage. Rob had long since fallen asleep upstairs, but I didn't have the energy to join him and crashed on the couch until 10 AM when Tiger Lily started banging on the back door to go out. I was just getting up when Rob and the kids came downstairs, on their way out to get new tires for my van. Yeah, both our cars were desperate for them. So I was all set to lie back down - hey! free time without the kids means sleep! - but then I remembered the crochet-a-thon. I was determined to win a prize.
I sat on that computer for the next three hours and still didn't win. Dammit. I kept playing Webkinz tournaments to pass the time, and I've won about 40 between last night and today during the chat. Rob just rolls his eyes and laughs at me. Hey, it's fun. And I had to pass the time while the chat was slow somehow!
At 1300, I jumped in the shower to get ready for my eye exam appointment. [I didn't really need an exam, but I needed new glasses (I burned mine!), and so I picked up a mystery shop to get free ones. Yeah, I know, I said I was done with that, but it keeps pulling me right back in. And hey, you can't beat a free exam and glasses. Plus I have pink-eye and needed a prescription.] The appointment was for 1440, but I had had enough of the computer. Still no sign of Rob and the kids. Another hour passed. Still no sign. Ten minutes before I had to be at the eye doctor, I called him, only to find out he was still at the flipping tire place! Five hours getting tires! With three small children! Ay ay ay.
The eye tech said I could be late, so we took off immediately when they finally came in, and I had my exam. The doctor was very nice, very thorough, very pleasant... I enjoyed him immensely. He's right up there with Dr. Michael Bidus in my little book of Medical Types To Love. He gave me a script for the strongest antibiotic eyedrops available, since the Rx drops I'm using from my last bout aren't helping and confirmed that my vision is still pretty crappish at 20/200.
He dilated my pupils, so I called Rob and the kids out of the van to come help me pick out frames while those drops were taking effect. We were at For Eyes (Rob's favorite name for an eyeglasses store), where they were having a sale: two complete pairs for $99! After much deliberation, we picked a regular pair and a pair for sunglasses. Blue ones. That's a switch. We'll see.
I headed back over and let the doc look in my eyeballs some more, and I whined a bunch about the brightness. He gave me the paper sunglasses to wear around looking snazzy, and we were off.
Well, I'd spent all that time looking at the Mi Hogar Mexican Restaurant right next door, and Rob is always, always, always down for some Mexican, so we headed there for lunch. The usual: Jack ate chips, the girls ate quesadillas, I ate a vegetarian combo... and Rob orders something different every time. He ordered something called the "big burrito" and they were not kidding. I have literally birthed a smaller baby than that thing! He ate half and called it a day.
On to the next fun thing: Motor World down by the beach! Rob and I had last been about three years ago and still had some valid ride tickets, so we brought those along and bought some ride bracelets for the kids.
Our first stop was the bumper boats. The Littles rode with Rob, and Chloë rode with me. Jack and Chlo were scared at first, but once they got in there, they had a lot of fun. I'm a big fan of bumper boats, but mine would hardly go! It was very frustrating. We basically just sat around in the water and waited for people to run into us. Chloë giggled every time she got a little wet.
Next, we headed to the kiddie race cars for the kids to have a go around the track. Did you watch the video? That was just the beginning of our amusement. We parents were doubled over laughing by the end of their ride, as the kids were just horrible at it! They crashed, went three feet, crashed, two feet, crashed... you get the idea. It was totally hilarious. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.
Next up was some 'real' driving in the family cars. I don't know what these things are all called, so you'll have to bear with me. Cars is cars. Unfortunately, in the cars, two kids couldn't ride with one parent, so we had to take turns. First, Daddy and Jack rode together while the ladies patiently waited with their mama.
The girls waiting their turns for a drive
Next up, Chloë and Mommy. Yes, I know, an actual picture of me. I can't believe I really look like this. I mean, I know I do, but I just can't believe it has gotten to this point. Sigh... It's the "before," Melanie. It's the "before."
Sophia makes a new friend while she waits
Our car lover, transfixed by the action in front of him
I tried to get a decent picture of Sophie's ride, oh, how I tried, but her little head just didn't come over the edge of the car! So I'm just including this picture (a) to show she got her turn and (b) to show I managed some depth of field with this picture!
My pretty little baby in her pretty little dress
The girls wanted to go on the jumpy thing after that, while Rob took Jack on one of the other kiddy rides and to get a drink and funnel cake. Older kids were flipping over and over in their harnesses, but Chloë was too scared to try that. After a while, she was too scared at all and got down early.
Sophia loved her turn on the jumpy, and she was winging all over the place, her hair flying in the breeze. She was fun to watch, giggling away as she flew in the air. The ride operator got a kick out of her, too, and he was holding her down so she'd fly higher and higher. This one's going to be a daredevil.
Next up, because the kiddie rides were finally opening as the evening came upon us, the girls rode the dinosaurs that Jacky had just finished. He didn't want to go again. He was all about the cars by that point.
My beautiful girls taking a ride in the elephants
Jack and Chloë went back for another drive in the hilarious kiddie cars after that. Chloë was actually starting to get the hang of steering! Jack, not so much, but he didn't care a bit. He was in seventh heaven behind the wheel of that car, his pedal to the metal. When it's time to get his license, he will be a force to be reckoned with.
We found some more kiddie rides that had not been open earlier, so they each got in one of these dealies and "drove" around and around the track. We kept hollering out to them, teasingly, "They're getting you! Go faster! Faster!" Jack took it most to heart, and would hunch over the wheel and start steering madly, a determined look on his face. It was hysterical.
Next, the "kiddie" himalayan. Holy, crap, this thing was fast. Jack had decided against it from the get-go, and he was smart to do that. Sophia started freaking out when it began, and I was flailing and yelling like crazy to get the ride op's attention and stop the thing. Rob finally got through to him, and we pulled our baby off. She was so shaken, poor thing.
Chloë insisted on staying on the ride, but she really started freaking when it started going backward. This thing really went way too fast for kids who are only supposed to be 36" tall. After the ride, I asked her if it was scary. "Yes." Was it fun? "Yes." Which was it, more scary or more fun? "It was half-and-half!" But was it worth it? "Yes!" Good enough.
Lastly, we found the Family Speedway to use up our remaining tickets. Here's my sweet Sophia buckled next to me.
I held my camera over my head and managed to snap this one of Rob and Jack in the car behind us. What about Chloë? Again, we couldn't ride two kids with one parent, so one of the ride operators agreed to drive her around so we could all go at once! This was the funnest ride, the five of us chasing each other around the track. Chlo was speeding, while Rob and I were stuck in pokey little putters.
I had just a few dollars in my wallet, so I decided the kids could play one easy game before we left. Each of them could pick up a floating ducky and see what prize they could pick from the letter on the bottom. Easy peasy. I don't know why Chloë chose the Incredible Hulk, as she has no idea who he is!
A beach ball for the very sleepy-by-this-point Sophia
Jack, of course, chose this airplane. It's his new favorite toy.
It was definitely time to go after that. They'd been out all day and had no naps or rest of any kind.
Sophia was practically asleep before we left the parking lot. But we had one more stop before home: Chloë and Jack had both been clamoring for a hot dog at the park, but we had coupons each of them had received from their respective schools for a free kids' meal at Jason's Deli for various achievements.
After getting their hot dog meals there, we headed home. Normally our little piggy, Sophie had no interest in food, so Rob brought her right up to bed. She was out again before he shut the door. So sweet. I love that I still have a baby in the house. I gave the kids their meals, and they went to down, devouring dog, pickle, chips and chocolate milk. Not bad for free!
Oh, and in the mail, I got a package from MIL: BoxTops and soup labels for the kids' schools, a fun book for each of the kids, a Wind in the WIllows DVD, and - yay yay yay - my first pattern to try and sew! It's a dress I can make for both girls if I want. I can't wait to take Rob to the store to get my fabric and "notions"! Fun, fun!! Thanks, Mom!
Tomorrow will be another fun, busy day, but for now, I'm going to go see if I can talk Rob into watching a movie with me. I think it will be This Film is Not Yet Rated.
Welp, Christmas is over. It's good I told you that. Otherwise, you might not know.
My dad came in late last Sunday night - scared me half to death, even though I expected him any minute. We have café curtains in the bay window in the kitchen, where I was sitting doing my scrapbook. Next thing I know, 'tap, tap, tap' on the window, and I look up and see this big giant head. Ahhh! Thus it began.
The visit actually wasn't so bad this time. I had emailed him ahead of time that I didn't want any of that political, racist crap, and I wasn't going to wait on him hand and foot this time. Yay, me! Therapy's good for something. And he emailed me back without being all pissy and for the most part, he stuck with it.
So. Monday was Christmas Eve, and after we sat around (I watched Jade, who warmed to my dad instantly, and snuggled with him), we went to church for the singing and the candle-lighting that I so enjoy. Our attendance has been awful since we had Sophia - so, yeah, way too long ago to still be a good excuse - but the routine has just been all but shot since then. Oh, well. We try.
My dad, a steadfast Christian Scientist, seemed to really enjoy the service, although later he insulted my church as "harmless but useless." Shall I go there? Okay, at least I learn about what Jesus said there, intead of just what Mary Baker Eddy wrote. And after 65 years of going to the same church, he still hates every group who represents something he is not? I don't know if I'd call that harmless... so I guess we're even. BUDDOW!
But back to the Christmas spirit. ;)
We went home and had dinner - I'd stuck a frozen Smithfield marinated pork loin in a Pamper's Chef baker's stone before we left, turned on the oven, and bam! Savory smells greeted us when we arrived home. It was done! Of course, I didn't eat it, but the boys seemed to enjoy it, as did The Human Garbage Can a.k.a. Sophia.
Then we opened our stockings, our Christmas Eve tradition. But we forgot our other one: Rob reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to the kids! Just completely left it out. Whoops. The kids went crazy with their stockings, even though I had really nothing in there but different candies this year, having put all the stocking loot in the attic with the 'big' stuff. Even my dad had a stocking - albeit containing nothing but a lump of coal - but he seemed to enjoy that.
Bed for the kids, then hours and hours of wrapping presents, for me. I'm so freaking fat now, my feet go numb soon after I sit on the floor, so it was an arduous process. (I can't wait 'til January 31st!!) I bought one of those new zippy paper cutter things from Scotch, and it was a bust. I prefer my nice sharp scissors, TYVM. Maybe when I get thinner and regain some agility, but for a big blog with short limbs who's stuck mainly in one spot, it didn't really do the trick.
Tuesday, the big day! After getting to bed around 2:30 AM, the kids woke us up at 8-something. Aghhhh. I made some cinnamon buns for breakfast (love that pop-open can stuff when you're too tired to think!), and then we headed in for the big mêlée. It was overwhelming. To me. And my dad kept saying the same thing. He was pretty much in a state of overwhelm during the entire visit, with the kids constantly crawling all over him, calling his name, wanting to show him something, tell him something or do something with him, and Christmas was even more so. He's a complete neat freak. I am, to an extent - but nothing like my father. No one is. I promise. He just kept looking at the toys (which are still there, by the way. Haven't moved. Well, to be played with, yes, but put away? Nope. Where?!) and paper and shaking his head, whimpering. I rather enjoyed his distress until he started bitching about it and yelling at the kids to clean up. 'Scuse me? Because I think it's my house, and those are my kids, and that is my job. And it's Christmas, for crying out loud. Let them play with their new crap awhile! He caught me glaring at him over that.
The house shrinks a little bit every time someone comes to visit, y'know what I mean?
So Wednesday, Jade came back, and I felt like absolute crap. I had her in the bouncy seat for much of the day, so she wouldn't hurt herself with all the little toys spread everywhere, and I sat down on the couch for a breather. Rob and my dad were right there... next thing, I woke up to find Jade missing from her seat. Dad had picked her up and was napping with her on the couch. It warmed my heart. And not just a small bit because she's the brown baby. Who knew he liked little kids so much?? Between that Jade-snugging and the amount of time he spends playing with my kids, he really surprises me as a grandpa. He's definitely the fun one. He gets down. He gets into it. He only stops when he's really, genuinely tired. The man has some positive attributes, after all. (heh)
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I was supposed to have Jade, and all three days her mother called to say that her mother was going to keep her. Um, okay. (A) I really enjoyed the time I didn't have her, and (B) if I'm going to do this job, I'm going to want consistency and a constant paycheck. So that was the straw the broke the camel's back for me. I called her tonight and told her that it was no rush and I'd keep Jade until then, but she needed to find alternate childcare. It's a relief. I like Jade - love her, even - but organizing our schedule around hers has been a huge PITA.
So that's that. We did a ton of laundry, Chloë and I. I swear, I cannot climb that mountain. Who's the dude who kept having to push that rock up the hill? That's me, with the laundry. It used to be something I just did on Sundays. Now it's All. The. Time. UGH!! But Chloë negotiated a $2 pay with me for helping with the laundry, and that meant she had enough money to buy another Webkinz when I paid her that and her allowance today. Cha-ching! She got the bullfrog and named her Lilly; that makes 12 for us. Do you know they don't give you a new room for your 10th and up - and you also can't use the pet's name when you buy a room for it and rename it? That's so annoying!!! In other Webkinz newz, I gave her 9 charms and a bracelet for Christmas so we now have access - full, at that - to the Charm Forest! Fun stuff. (LOL!)
I took her to iPOP class today. She is so ready!! I will be aghast if she blows it in Los Angeles. Just beside myself. She is doing so well, I would be shocked. Sean was really proud of her, and his wife came in and listened to her monologue today, too. She loved it and gave her muchos kudos. Then she did her scene and her monologue again, for the ladies out front, and she did great. Good, good, good. We leave in four days!!! And last night, she was in the middle of saying grace when she switched gears and started saying the lines from her monologue. During grace!! It was pretty funny...
While we were at the mall today (for a lunch shop at Charley's Steakery or whatever), I looked in at both Gymboree and TCP for some cute clothes for her auditions - no dresses, or everyone will see her unnerpannies - and I was just so overwhelmed with the choices that we left. 'Sides, she's got lots of cute stuff. So we went to that boutique I love, the one that's going out of business, to see if there was anything, but they are practically empty. Bummer! I wanted to find a cute dress for Sophie too, but nothing. They have bitty baby girl clothes, and the only bitty baby girl I know is Lisa's Emilie, but she has no reason for a fancy party dress. Even a gorgeous little tangerine one. So I bought a bunch of hair doodles, a tiara, and a necklace-and-earring set, so we have lots of options for iPOP.
And that's my story, folks. Now to do those reports (oh yeah, we went to Bennigan's tonight for dinner. They sucked!!! as expected.)
I got the call I've been waiting for since May, today. My number finally came up on the Drastic Bypass list! I have an appointment for January 31st in the general surgery clinic. It's not the actual surgery appointment (I wish), but the pre-op to go over all my paperwork, bloodwork, and everything I've got to get done before then. I'm so excited! I hope I get the surgery done well in advance of the trip to Europe so I can enjoy all the activities we have planned. And not just be another fat American in France. ;)
I'm too tired to think of anything else to say about today, although there was plentiful much. We're buried under mounds of laundry, so now I have to go attempt to fold a bunch before I snug down in my pillow.
Kind of a boring day for us, bloggily speaking. We got up wicked early (for us) and went to breakfast at the Silver Diner. Yay, we made it! The kids weren't "allowed" to be there with us for the shop, so we got separate checks that must have made the server wonder. We kept making up different scenarios, such as Rob and I were dating and Chloë and Jack were his kids (they look like him) and Sophia is mine (looks like me), or we're brother and sister, since our credit cards have the same last name... but Chloë kept calling me Mommy (strange, I know), so who knows what she thought! It was a source of amusement for us simpletons, though.
Then we went home and went back to sleep. Hey. Small steps.
When we got up, the kids had lunch while I showered, and then I folded three baskets of laundry while Chloë helped me put some of it away. I told you this was an exciting day.
Then I had to go to Sears for two long hours and do a survey of the entire store. If I had known the kind of work it was going to take me for fourteen freaking dollars, I would never have done it. But I'd already printed out a ton of pages for it, and it kills me to waste all that paper and ink. I had to mystery shop all the different departments first, and then I had 'reveal' myself to the manager and go around taking pictures of anything outstanding or any issues. The manager of the portrait studio where we always bring the kids came into the ladies' room just as I was taking pictures of the garbage all over each of the stalls. "What are you doing?!" she said. It was a bit of a silly encounter! So I went over to the studio and said hi to Ellie, "our" photographer, on my way out the door.
I got two pairs of Levi's on sale for Rob while I was there. And a little outfit for our new nephew, due to arrive any time now (Elizabeth's younger brother, for those of you who remember me talking about her) in Missouri. I love buying baby clothes! Especially little teeny ones. Especially for my own, but moving on, moving right along...
Then I went from Pembroke Mall to Lynnhaven Mall to do another shop at Spencer's Gifts. I haven't done the report yet, but it will probably be my most embarrassing to date. I have to say things like "cock pops," "fart powder" and "penis shot glasses" when explaining the items the salesperson promoted to me! *blush*
Rob wanted me to pick up some micro-SD cards for his new GPS, and while I was looking for the store, I found this little candy kiosk that I'd never noticed before. Well, I'm usually never in that end of the mall. Those who know me extraordinarily well know I am passionate about just the very right kind of coconutty chocolates. I can never find them, not the way I like them. The last time I did was on the Jersey Shore boardwalk, in 1999. Well, actually I think I got some in the mall in Panama City, Florida, but not quite as good. Anyway, serendipitously, I glanced up at that candy kiosk and spied exactly that. I stopped and asked for one to taste, to see if I wanted to buy more. Perfection! So I told her to fill up a bag, and I'd tell her when to stop. I stopped her at 37 pieces. Then I had her fill another bag with chocolates for Rob, and hurried down the mall with my prize before I had her add more. The salesgirl winked at me and told me they have them all the time. Glee!
They were out of the SD cards at the store where they were on sale, and by that point I was near the boutique where I picked up Chloë's gowns for her iPOP! trip in January. I wanted to go in and see if I could pick up another tiara, and maybe a gorgeous dress (for what, I don't know and don't care) for Sophia. They are going out of business at the end of the year and are drastically reducing their prices, so I was hoping to find a bargain. But alack and alas, they were closed. Hopefully not for good. I spotted something tangerine-colored in Sophie's size the last time, and I want it!
Nothing much exciting (not that any of that was) occurred after I returned home. The kids were napping but soon joined us - after we'd dived (or diven, as I like to say) into our chocolates, tried on the new jeans, and scanned everything for Nielsen. We had some dinner, futzed around a while, and then they went off to bed.
Sophia was crying a whole bunch after bedtime. She's been having a rough time of it lately. She's in a two-year-old patch of stranger- and separation-anxiety, and sometimes she just cries inconsolably. I couldn't take it and had Rob go get her, and I held her on the couch while I watched Desperate Housewives. Well. I was looking at her poor butchered hair, hacked into so many times from having to cut out all the knots she twists into it, and I decided to even it out. The only way to do that was to cut it into a short little bob. Short. I cut off lots of hair all around her head. It's definitely a home-cut, but it's cute on her! Rob agreed. I'll take a picture tomorrow.
That's about it. I've just folded three more loads of laundry and been cleaning up the living room, and Rob went upstairs to take care of Chloë, puking again. Siiiiigh. Keep a good thought for her, will you?
Ah, yes. Wednesday morning. The photo shoot! Here's what it's all about: the pictures are stock photography. Stock photos are taken to represent different "lifestyle" scenarios, such as (in this case) a wedding, or two grads toasting each other, or having a baby, or whatever. Then they are posted on the website, and any company who wants it can buy it from the site and use it in their advertisements. Right now, this company has one of their pictures running for American Express. I don't know which one. But it'll take about six months for the pictures from Chloë's shoot to appear on the website, and then they'll never know what companies will use them, or when. So we'll just have to keep our eyes peeled for Little Miss Chlo.
The shoot went very well. It was right about two hours long, and she did such a great job for her first time. As I'd hammered into her head, she did exactly as she was instructed, and the "bride" really helped the girls (there were four flower girls, including Chloë) feel at ease in the pictures, talking to them and making them laugh. It was a lot of fun, and I could tell she was really enjoying herself.
I had left Jack with the neighbors, so they could put him on the bus. Otherwise, he'd have had to miss school that day, and he's missed so much from not feeling well. (But he would have made a cute ring bearer! They didn't have one... ;) ) Sophie came with me. There was anothe two-year-old sibling there, so the little girls sat and drew pictures and "chatted" together and were very sweet. It all ran very smoothly.
Afterward, I had to get Chloë to school, so I ran to Wendy's to get my girls a little lunch to eat in the car on the way there. That was dumb. Never give a two-year-old a fast food cup in the car. The lid comes right off, and... you know. Not good.
So anyway, she got to school. And Jack came home. And she came home. And all was well.
In the evening, Stephanie, our babysitter, came over so we could go out to a mystery shop dinner at the Town Point Club, a private invitation-only club for executive-types. So, yeah, we don't really fit in there, but we try our best to fake it. And omg, it is so good. We started out in the lounge, where I had a Cosmo and Rob had a scotch & soda. Then we were taken to the dining room, where we received the white glove treatment. I ordered a bottle of wine that I really wish I could remember the name of, because it was dee-lish. Rosé Rosata or some such. I don't know. But we liked. Rob had oysters and I had the best she-crab soup on the planet, for apps, and I had crab cakes and he had rack of lamb for entrées. He had Bananas Foster for dessert, and I had the cheesecake with Chambord dribbled over it. We had some coffee, and I had Bailey's in mine. Rob called me a lush. Maybe so, but it was good stuff! And we were full to burstin' afterward. But the absolute best part was the service. We absolutely love going there. It was our third time, and it's always amazing!
We both collapsed from exhaustion when we got home. That was the end of the night!
I got up at 0500 with Rob and started working on the report for dinner. I didn't finish until almost 0900, taking out about 45 minutes to get Chloë up and onto the bus. It's a lot of writing for that shop. But it's worth it.
Then I stayed up and did some other work until ten, when I got Jack up for school. I put him on the bus at 1100, and slept for a little while until Sleepy Sophia finally woke up. She had taken off her diaper, and when I opened her door, the first thing out of her mouth was, "I didn't go peepee on my pillow, Mommy!" Well, good! I am so excited, beyond words, to be nearing the end of the Diaper Chapter of our lives.
We didn't do much during the day, because I was still so tired, until the kids came home from school. I did several loads of laundry, but that was about it. Then we took Chloë to Brownies, and we did some T-day grocery shopping while she was there. First thing into the store, Sophie said, "I have to go potty, Mommy!" When your potty-training youngster pipes up thusly, you heed the call, no matter the inconvenience. And she went, at least. That gave me less than 45 minutes to do a speed-shop around the store, check out, and load up the car before heading back to Brownies to pick up Miss Chlo. But I made it, with six minutes to spare!
The Littles stayed in the van watching Madagascar while I picked her up. I was supposed to go to her school to attend tonight's Book Fair, but I realized there was no way I could make it home, unload the groceries - even with Rob's help, drive to school, shop for books on her Wish List, and be back in time for Stephanie-Sitter to watch the kids for our second night out in a row. We had 1900 reservations at Aldo's Ristorante, again for a mystery shop... so I asked Karen, another Brownies mom who I knew would be going to the Book Fair, to shop for me instead. I wrote her a blank check and gave her the wish list, and she agreed! Yay. Big help. Moms helping moms. Looove it! (Zack and Weezy, from Dragon Tales on PBS.)
So. Anyway. We did go home and unload all those groceries, and I scanned them for Nielsen. Rob showered, I dressed and made a pizza for the kidlets to eat for dinner, Stephanie arrived, and we left for Aldo's. Dinner was pretty good, but it was no Town Point Club. Then I remembered I had to do a Cold Stone shop after dinner! Agh! Too many shops, I take. Crazy-making.
I decided to take Stephanie out for ice cream instead of Rob, so we swung home to trade partners. I got my shop form, and Steph and I went to hang out. The ice cream was good, but the rest of the shop was not. I was stuffed from dinner, though, so my Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip - Love It! size - is in the freezer, if any of you are interested.
Then Steph and I hung out on our couch, chitty-chatting, for a couple hours. We laughed. It's good to laugh. Now I want to crash.
Oh - post comments! I am a comment whore. Love the comments. Please? ;)
Sick again, I am. Two colds, back-to-back. I'm a little bit cranky about it. Rob's sick, too. And you all know what men are like when they're sick. Not a picnic.
Yesterday I woke up feeling crappy again, so I canceled my shops and just hung out with my baby girl all day while J and C were at school. After they got home and everyone had a snack, we headed out to babysitter-Stephanie's in Chesapeake.
She was hosting our monthly Bunco group, and since Rob had duty and has a whole bunch of work this week, I had to bring them with me. He was hoping to get out a little earlier and come get them - and he did. Leave early, that is. And immediately got a flat tire. Suckage! If it's not one thing with that boy and his car, it's another. They're like a comedic duo. Man vs. Machine, duking it out. Who will be the last one standing?? I vote for the Jetta.
So Steph's husbo babysat the kids in the back room while we girls laughed it up. It was a pretty hilarious night of Bunco, as one newcomer was over-excited about winning a prize and then we all copied her. Fun stuff. Love my Bunco.
We got home very late, and I was glad I'd had Chloë do her homework before the partay started, because the kids needed to get right into bed. I sat down with Rob to knit and watch a movie (I'm making a little baby girl dress in a smoky brown extra fine merino wool now), and before too much longer, I heard someone crying upstairs.
Well, the only one who really cries in bed, and like that, is Miss Chloë. Oh, no, here we go again. Rob went up to check on her and called me up to help. Yep. She'd puked again. She's in the top bunk, and she rained it down all over Jack's bed on the bunk below. It was pretty gross, although now that I'm typing it up, that's kind of funny.
Jack never woke up. Rob did the pukey laundry, whipping his sheets out from under him, while I bathed the sick girl. I held her up with my leg in the shower, and she clung to me like a little tiny baby, so fragile and small. I held her like that long after I was done cleaning her up, just enjoying the bond.
I dried her off and rubbed lotion all over her, telling her that I used to massage her every night like that when she was a baby - and Jack and Sophie, too. And that reminds me of Tuesday evening in the car.
The Styx (right?) song "Come Sail Away" came on the radio, and I started singing it to the kids. Then I lowered the volume and told Chloë that it was the song I sang to her Daddy when he entered the OR, before she was delivered. Some 10 or 11 months earlier, when we were "dating," if you can call it that, he had sung it to me as an invitation to join him and make a life together. Under all those drugs and lights and stress, it burst forth from me and I sang it right out loud when he came in, not caring who else was in the room. Come Sail Away on this new journey, into parenthood.
And then I asked the doctors if I could go swimming the next day.
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Today was not at all exciting. I canceled/rescheduled my shops again and spent the whole day hacking and doing laundry. Loads and loads, hours and hours of laundry. I chipped away at that mountain, folding the huge piles of clean laundry, washing the huge piles of dirty laundry, and putting away giganormous stacks of the kids' clothes. I've been in transition between their summer and winter wardrobes, and I finally got everything squared away where it should be, six hours in. And I made Sophie's bed and our bed. That's all I accomplished today.
Oh, and I/we just watched I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, which was aiight. I got some knitting done, and the lacy pattern is emerging. Phew, it worked out. I was worried.
